Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous — English Nerd

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Exercise 1 — Completed result (PP) vs ongoing process (PPC)

Choose between the Present Perfect (I have done) and the Present Perfect Continuous (I have been doing). Use the Present Perfect when the action is complete and the result matters. Use the Present Perfect Continuous when the focus is on the ongoing process, effort, or duration.

Set:

I ___ three emails this morning. (finished, focus on result)

have been writinghave writtenwas writingwrote

I ___ emails all morning. (focus on the activity, not the count)

have writtenwrotehave been writingwas writing

She looks exhausted. She ___ all day.

has workedhas been workingworkedis working

He ___ the report. It's on your desk. (completed, result available)

has been finishingwas finishinghas finishedis finishing

We ___ a lot of progress on the project this week.

have been makingmadeare makingmake

The builders ___ a new bridge. It's open now. (completed action)

have been buildingwere buildinghave builtare building

He ___ on this novel for two years and still isn't done.

has workedhas been workingworkedis working

I ___ the book. Do you want to borrow it?

have been readingwas readingreadhave read

You've been crying. Your eyes are red. What ___?

has happenedhave happenedhas been happeninghappened

She ___ five languages. (ability, completed learning)

has been learninghas learntis learningwas learning

Home/Tenses/Present Perfect Continuous/Perfect vs Perfect Continuous

Exercise 1 — Completed result (PP) vs ongoing process (PPC)

Set:

I ___ three emails this morning. (finished, focus on result)

have been writinghave writtenwas writingwrote

I ___ emails all morning. (focus on the activity, not the count)

have writtenwrotehave been writingwas writing

She looks exhausted. She ___ all day.

has workedhas been workingworkedis working

He ___ the report. It's on your desk. (completed, result available)

has been finishingwas finishinghas finishedis finishing

We ___ a lot of progress on the project this week.

have been makingmadeare makingmake

The builders ___ a new bridge. It's open now. (completed action)

have been buildingwere buildinghave builtare building

He ___ on this novel for two years and still isn't done.

has workedhas been workingworkedis working

I ___ the book. Do you want to borrow it?

have been readingwas readingreadhave read

You've been crying. Your eyes are red. What ___?

has happenedhave happenedhas been happeninghappened

She ___ five languages. (ability, completed learning)

has been learninghas learntis learningwas learning

PP vs PPC

Exercise 1 — Completed result (PP) vs ongoing process (PPC)

PP vs PPC

Exercise 1 — Completed result (PP) vs ongoing process (PPC)