A Perfect Review!

Intermediate (B1) 25 minutes
ESL present perfect continuous worksheet preview: matching, binary choice, sentence completion, writing, intermediate

ESL Present Perfect Continuous Worksheet - Grammar Exercises: Matching, Binary Choice, Sentence Completion, Writing Sentences

In this useful present perfect continuous worksheet, students review the uses of the present perfect continuous tense and identify how it is different from the...

ESL Present Perfect Continuous Worksheet - Grammar Exercises: Matching, Binary Choice, Sentence Completion, Writing Sentences In this useful present perfect continuous worksheet, students review the uses of the present perfect continuous tense and identify how it is different from the present perfect simple. Students start by matching sentence halves together to form present perfect continuous sentences. Next, students read sentences and underline the correct perfect tense in each one. Students then complete a grammar explanation on the difference between the present perfect simple and the present perfect continuous based on what they've learned. After that, students use verbs from a box to write present perfect continuous sentences to explain the present conditions expressed in the prompts. Finally, students use prompts to write what each person usually does versus what they have been doing recently. In this exercise, students practice using the present perfect continuous to express a recent or temporary change in someone's routine.
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Have you been...?

Intermediate (B1) 30 minutes
ESL present perfect continuous speaking activity preview: writing short answers, asking and answering, pair work, intermediate

ESL Present Perfect Continuous Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Writing Short Answers, Asking and Answering Questions, Freer Practice - Pair Work

In this present perfect continuous speaking activity, students practice asking and answering 'Have you been...?' questions. Students begin by writing short...

ESL Present Perfect Continuous Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Writing Short Answers, Asking and Answering Questions, Freer Practice - Pair Work In this present perfect continuous speaking activity, students practice asking and answering 'Have you been...?' questions. Students begin by writing short answers for the items on the worksheet in a random order in speech bubbles. Next, students swap worksheets with a partner. Students then take turns choosing an answer from one of their partner's speech bubbles and asking present perfect continuous 'Have you been...?' questions to find out what the answer refers to. For example, if a student wrote the answer 'seven o'clock' in one of the speech bubbles, their partner might ask 'Have you been waking up at seven o'clock recently?' The student replies 'Yes, I have' or 'No, I haven't' accordingly. When a partner asks the right question, the student explains their answer, e.g. 'Yes, I have. I've been waking up at seven o'clock because I go jogging in the park before school.' After the student has explained the answer and it's been discussed, their partner puts a tick next to the bubble, and the students swap roles. Afterwards, students report back to the class on the most interesting things they found out about their partner.
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What have I been doing?

Intermediate (B1) 30 minutes
ESL present perfect continuous miming game preview: miming, guessing, forming sentences, group work, intermediate

ESL Present Perfect Continuous Game - Grammar and Speaking: Miming, Guessing, Forming Sentences - Group Work

In this free present perfect continuous game, students mime what they have been doing for others to guess. A student from Team A comes to the front of the class and is given a card. The student then asks...

ESL Present Perfect Continuous Game - Grammar and Speaking: Miming, Guessing, Forming Sentences - Group Work In this free present perfect continuous game, students mime what they have been doing for others to guess. A student from Team A comes to the front of the class and is given a card. The student then asks the class, "What have I been doing?" The student then has two minutes to mime the sentence on the card to their team. During these two minutes, the members of Team A can ask the student questions about what they have been doing to which the student can nod yes or no. If Team A guesses the sentence within two minutes, they score two points. If Team A doesn't guess the sentence within the time frame, Team B has one chance to guess the answer for one point. A student from Team B then comes to the front of the class, and so on. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
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What have they been doing?

Intermediate (B1) 20 minutes
ESL present perfect continuous activity preview: asking and answering, forming sentences, pair work, intermediate

ESL Present Perfect Continuous Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Forming Sentences - Pair Work

In this engaging present perfect continuous speaking activity, students use picture cards to ask and answer questions in the present perfect continuous tense...

ESL Present Perfect Continuous Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Forming Sentences - Pair Work In this engaging present perfect continuous speaking activity, students use picture cards to ask and answer questions in the present perfect continuous tense. In pairs, students take turns picking up a picture card, showing it to their partner and asking what the person or people in the picture have been doing, e.g. 'What has he been doing?' Their partner then answers the question by making a sentence in the present perfect continuous, e.g. 'He has been reading a book.' This continues until all the picture cards have been used. When the students have finished, check the answers by having the students write the sentences on the board.
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What have you been doing recently?

Intermediate (B1) 30 minutes
ESL present perfect continuous survey preview: asking and answering, freer practice, intermediate

ESL Present Perfect Continuous Survey - Speaking Activity: Asking and Answering Questions, Freer Practice

In this insightful present perfect continuous activity, students conduct a survey on recent activities and actions to practice the present perfect continuous tense. This activity also helps students practice time...

ESL Present Perfect Continuous Survey - Speaking Activity: Asking and Answering Questions, Freer Practice In this insightful present perfect continuous activity, students conduct a survey on recent activities and actions to practice the present perfect continuous tense. This activity also helps students practice time expressions used with the present perfect continuous. Students begin by going through the items on the worksheet and preparing present perfect continuous questions for the survey. Students then go around the classroom asking the present perfect continuous questions. When a classmate replies 'Yes, I have', the student asks for their name and writes it in the appropriate column. The student then asks follow-up questions to gain more information, e.g. 'What have you been working on?', noting their answers in the last column. Students then move on to speak to someone else. Afterwards, students give feedback to the class on what they found out about their classmates.
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Are you lying to me?

Upper-intermediate (B2) 30 minutes
ESL present perfect continuous board game preview: true or false, impromptu speech, guessing, communicative group work, upper-intermediate

ESL Present Perfect Continuous Board Game - Speaking and Grammar: True or False, Impromptu Speech, Guessing, Communicative Practice - Group Work

In this fun present perfect continuous board game, students give true or false information about themselves using the present perfect continuous tense. Players...

ESL Present Perfect Continuous Board Game - Speaking and Grammar: True or False, Impromptu Speech, Guessing, Communicative Practice - Group Work In this fun present perfect continuous board game, students give true or false information about themselves using the present perfect continuous tense. Players take turns rolling the dice and moving their counter along the board. When a player lands on a square, they pick up a true or false card. The player then talks about the topic on the square using the present perfect continuous tense, giving either true or false information as indicated on the card. When the player has finished talking, the other students guess whether the player's answer is true or false. The player then reveals the answer. The students who guessed correctly each score one point. When a player reaches the finish, the game ends and students add up their points. The student with the most points wins the game.
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Early Release

Upper-intermediate (B2) 20 minutes
ESL present perfect continuous activity preview: information gap, asking and answering, pair work, upper-intermediate

ESL Present Perfect Continuous Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Information Gap, Asking and Answering Questions, Freer and Communicative Practice - Pair Work

In this present perfect continuous information gap activity, students find out what useful acts prisoners have been doing and decide who should be released early...

ESL Present Perfect Continuous Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Information Gap, Asking and Answering Questions, Freer and Communicative Practice - Pair Work In this present perfect continuous information gap activity, students find out what useful acts prisoners have been doing and decide who should be released early. Read through the prison scenario with the students. In two groups, students then complete sentences describing the useful things the prisoners have been doing using verbs in the present perfect continuous, e.g. 'Gino has been cutting the prison lawns six times a week.' Next, students pair up with someone from the other group. Students then complete the missing information in their chart by asking their partner present perfect continuous questions to find out what useful acts the other prisoners have been doing, e.g. 'What has Pablo been doing?' When both students have completed the chart, they decide which prisoner they think deserves to be released early.
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What do you think they have been doing?

Upper-intermediate (B2) 25 minutes
ESL present perfect continuous role-play preview: asking and answering, sentence completion, group work, upper-intermediate

ESL Present Perfect Continuous Role-Play - Grammar and Speaking Activity: Asking and Answering Questions, Sentence Completion, Controlled Practice - Group Work

In this free present perfect continuous activity, students take on a character role and ask questions to find out what other people have been doing. In groups...

ESL Present Perfect Continuous Role-Play - Grammar and Speaking Activity: Asking and Answering Questions, Sentence Completion, Controlled Practice - Group Work In this free present perfect continuous activity, students take on a character role and ask questions to find out what other people have been doing. In groups, students take on the role of the person on their character card and find out what the other people in their group have been doing by asking questions and completing a chart with the information. In order to complete the chart, students must use the present perfect continuous and ask a total of four questions. Students go around their group asking and answering the questions and noting down the information in their chart. Afterwards, students read the information in the chart, guess what each person has been doing and complete sentences with their answers using the present perfect continuous.
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What have you been up to?

Upper-intermediate (B2) 30 minutes
ESL present perfect continuous activity preview: asking and answering, small talk, pair work, upper-intermediate

ESL Present Perfect Continuous Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Small Talk, Communicative Practice - Pair Work

This communicative present perfect continuous activity helps students develop their small talk conversation skills and practice the present perfect continuous...

ESL Present Perfect Continuous Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Small Talk, Communicative Practice - Pair Work This communicative present perfect continuous activity helps students develop their small talk conversation skills and practice the present perfect continuous tense. In pairs, one student starts the conversation by saying 'Hi..., what have you been up to?' The other student then picks up a card, reads the prompt and replies using the present perfect continuous, e.g. 'I've been busy searching for a new apartment.' The other student then shows interest and asks appropriate follow-up questions to keep the conversation going. When the conversation is over, students swap roles and make a new conversation with the next card, and so on. Afterwards, pairs take turns acting out one of their small talk conversations in front of the class.
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Understanding Present Perfect Continuous

The present perfect continuous uses 'have/has been' plus the -ing form of the verb to describe an action that started in the past and is still continuing or has very recently stopped, for example 'She has been working here for three years' or 'I've been running, that's why I'm out of breath.' When students use the present perfect simple instead, saying 'She has worked here for three years' rather than 'She has been working here for three years,' they lose the sense of ongoing duration and the implication that the action is still in progress, which changes the feel of the sentence significantly.

This page covers the present perfect continuous across B1 and B2 levels, with nine resources including a grammar worksheet, speaking activities, a survey, a miming game, a board game, and a role-play, including two free downloads.

This table shows the main forms of the present perfect continuous with the structure and an example for each.

FormStructureExample
Affirmative subject + have/has + been + verb-ing 'She has been working here for two years.'
Negative subject + have/has + not + been + verb-ing 'He hasn't been sleeping well lately.'
Yes/No Question Have/Has + subject + been + verb-ing + ? 'Have you been waiting long?'
Wh Question Wh word + have/has + subject + been + verb-ing + ? 'What have you been doing?'
Short Answer (Yes) Yes, subject + have/has. 'Yes, I have.'
Short Answer (No) No, subject + haven't/hasn't. 'No, she hasn't.'

When to Use Present Perfect Continuous

Explaining a Visible Result: A speaker uses the present perfect continuous when the evidence of an ongoing activity is visible right now, connecting cause to effect, as in 'Have you been running? You look completely worn out.'

Expressing Duration of an Ongoing Activity: When a speaker wants to emphasize how long an action has been going on, the present perfect continuous with 'for' or 'since' signals that it is still happening, as in 'They've been renovating that building since January.'

Expressing Irritation About a Repeated Action: The present perfect continuous can carry emotional weight when a speaker is annoyed by something that has been happening repeatedly, as in 'Someone has been leaving the door open all morning.'

3-Step Framework for Teaching Present Perfect Continuous

1. Make the Contrast Visible on the Page: Open with a worksheet that sets the present perfect continuous against the present perfect simple before students speak. After matching and binary choice exercises, students write sentences showing what each person usually does versus what they have been doing recently, practicing the present perfect continuous to express a recent or temporary change in someone's routine. Seeing the contrast on the page first makes the tense distinction click before any speaking begins.

2. Use Pictures to Unlock the Form: Move into a picture-based activity to get the structure into spoken production. One student picks up a picture card, shows it to their partner and asks 'What has he been doing?', and their partner responds with a full present perfect continuous sentence, for example 'He has been reading a book.' The visual cue removes the pressure of generating content so students can focus entirely on producing the form correctly.

3. Give the Language a Real-World Stake: Push B2 students into a demanding information gap with a genuine decision at the end. Students complete sentences describing the useful things prisoners have been doing, for example 'Gino has been cutting the prison lawns six times a week,' then exchange information with a partner to fill in the rest of their chart. Once both students have the full picture, they decide which prisoner deserves to be released early.

Common Mistakes with Present Perfect Continuous

Omitting 'been' from the Structure: Students often write 'have/has' directly before the -ing form, leaving out 'been' and producing a non-standard form. Wrong: 'She has working here for two years.' Correct: 'She has been working here for two years.'

Using the Continuous Form with Stative Verbs: Students often apply the -ing form to stative verbs that do not normally take the continuous aspect, producing unnatural sentences. Wrong: 'I have been knowing him for years.' Correct: 'I have known him for years.'

Common Questions About Teaching Present Perfect Continuous

What is an interesting game for practicing the present perfect continuous?

The free What have I been doing? is an interesting game at B1 level. A student comes to the front, asks 'What have I been doing?' and has two minutes to mime the sentence on their card to their team. If the team guesses in time, they score two points. If not, the other team gets one chance to guess.

How do I teach the present perfect continuous at B2 level?

Teaching the present perfect continuous at B2 level is most effective when students use the tense under pressure. In Are you lying to me?, players land on a square and speak about that topic in the present perfect continuous, giving true or false information. The rest of the group then guesses whether the player's answer is true or false.

What is a good speaking activity for the present perfect continuous?

A good speaking activity for the present perfect continuous is What have you been up to?, where one student opens with 'Hi, what have you been up to?' and their partner picks a card and replies in the present perfect continuous, for example 'I've been busy searching for a new apartment,' then asks follow-up questions to keep the conversation going.

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