Present Perfect Continuous

Article excerpt · target grammar marked

Families separated by migration have been maintaining their bonds for generations. Adult children living abroad have been calling their parents an average of four times a week, some for as long as fifteen years.

Grammar Reference · Present Perfect Continuous

Form

She has been calling her parents every week. — have/has + been + verb-ing

for and since

They have been living apart for five years / since 2019. — for = duration; since = start point

How long...?

How long have you been waiting? — question form for asking about duration

Common error

She is calling him for years. ✗ → She has been calling him for years. ✓ — use have/has been, not is

01Exercise 1 — Form · Write the Correct Form

Present Perfect Continuous

1.How long you ... (live) in a different city from your family?

2.She (try) to keep in touch with her old friends since she moved abroad.

3.They (talk) online every weekend for three years.

4.How long he ... (make) an effort to maintain that long-distance relationship?

5.My parents (send) me voice messages every day since I left home.

6.We (drift) apart slowly, but we still call each other from time to time.

02Exercise 2 — Transform

rewrite with the new structure

1.I live in a different country from my sister.

2.He calls his parents every Sunday.

3.They try to keep in touch since 2020.

4.She works hard to maintain that long-distance friendship.

5.We send each other messages every morning for six months.

6.Do you make an effort to talk to your family online?

03Exercise 3 — About You

in your notebook

Personalise: complete five sentences about yourself using the target grammar.

Present Perfect Continuous01EnglishPlans.com