Present Perfect Simple vs.

Present Perfect Continuous

 Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Continuous
For an action which has just finished. For an action which started in the past and
continues up to the present.
They have just made a cake.
She has been teaching for six years. (She began
working as a teacher six years ago and she still
Someone has eaten my sandwich. (There is teaches.)
nothing left, someone ate the whole sandwich.) Someone has been eating my sandwich. (There is
something left, maybe a half of it).

To put an emphasis (za naglašavanje) on To put an emphasis on duration (trajanje).

number, amount, times...
He has been making coffee all morning.
He has painted six pictures. She has been painting for 10 years.
He has made some coffee. How long have you been painting?
How much coffee have you made?

Usually with these time expressions: 'ever', Usually with these time expressions: ‘all’, ‘all of’.
'never', 'already', 'just', ''still', 'yet': I’ve been writing all morning.
I’ve been going to the beach all my life.
I’ve already done it.
I’ve just fed the baby. Note: Both PPS and PPC can be used with ‘for’
and ‘since’.

With non-continuous verbs: For an action that frequently repeated:

1. Verbs of senses: sea, hear, feel, taste, smell Jim has been phoning Jill every night for the past
2. Verbs of perception: know, remember, forget, week.
understand, notice, realise, seem, sound, think
3. Verbs which express like/dislike: love, like,
hate, dislike, enjoy For an action whose results are visible (vidljivi) in
4. Other verbs such as: include, matter, need, the present.
belong, cost, prefer, mean, own, appear, believe,
want, have… Your hands are dirty. Have you been working in
the garden.
The streets are wet. Has it been raining?
Note: Some of these may have a continuous Why are you so red? I have been sunbathing.
form, but then they usually have a different, or
slightly different meaning (drugačije, ili za
nijansu drugačije značenje):

She has been thinking about selling her house.

(Razmišljala je o tome…)

We can often use both the simple and the continuous form interchangeably (i jedan i drugi oblik), the
difference is subtle (što znači: obratite pažnju na kontekst!):

I’ve waited for him for three hours. I’ve been waiting for him for three hours.

Means: I started waiting for him three hours ago Means: the same as Present Perfect, but also
and I may continue to wait for him. suggests that three hours is a long time to wait!

They’ve got engaged.  They haven’t dated very They’ve got engaged?!  They haven’t been
long. dating very long!
 Prepositions of time

Preposition Use Examples

in months in July; in September
year in 1985; in 1999
seasons in summer; in the summer of 69
in part of the day in the morning; in the afternoon; in the evening
in a minute; in two weeks (I’ll be ready in a minute –
duration za minut, It will be ready in a week's time – za
nedelju dana, počev od sada)
part of the day at night
time of day at 6 o'clock; at midnight
at
celebrations at Christmas; at Easter
fixed phrases at the same time
days of the week on Sunday; on Friday
Date on the 25th of December*
on
special holidays on Good Friday; on Easter Sunday; on my birthday
a special part of a day on the morning of September the 11th*
after later than sth. after school
ago how far sth. happened (in the past) 6 years ago
before earlier than sth. before Christmas
between time that separates two points between Monday and Friday
by not later than a special time by Thursday (do četvrtka)
during through the whole of a period of time during the holidays
for period of time for three weeks
from Monday to Wednesday
from ... to
two points form a period from Monday till Wednesday
from...till/until
from Monday until Wednesday
past time of the day 23 minutes past 6 (6:23)
since point of time since Monday
till tomorrow
Till/until no later than a special time
until tomorrow
To time of the day 23 minutes to 6 (5:37)
up to 6 hours a day (She works up to 6 hours a day –
Up to not more than a special time
ona radi do šest sati dnevno)
within during a period of time within a day

Exercises:

I Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Continuous:

1. You look tired! Yes I ________________________ (work) very hard.

2. Where's the magazine I gave you? What ________________________ (you do) with it?
3. We ________________________ (have) the same car for twelve years.
4. This room was white. Now it is blue. He ________________________ (paint) it.
5. This is the first time I ________________________ (drive) a car. Thanks for lending me your car.
6. Sorry I'm late. ________________________ (you wait) long?
8. Somebody ________________________ (steal) my keys. They are not on the table.
9. Mary is still watching TV. She ________________________ (watch) TV all day.
10. Look! Somebody ________________________ (spill) wine on the floor.
11. I ________________________ (not see) him since Monday.
12. I ________________________ (know) him for a long time.
13. I ________________________ (climb) quite a lot of mountains.
14. How many pages of the homework ________________________ (you do)?
15. He ________________________ (read) 20 pages so far.
16. He ________________________ (drink) too much recently.
17. 'My friend is a teacher.' 'Really? How long ________________________ (she teach)?'
18. ________________________ (you ever work) at home?
19. ________________________ (you ever play) volleyball?
20. ________________________ (he show) you his new watch yet?
21. Are we not there yet? We________________________ (walk) for hours!
22. Martin ________________________ (date) three girls this week.
23. Mr ________________________ (hear) a mouse squeak all night.
24. The toaster is OK again. Dad ________________________ (repair) it.
25. Why are you out of breath? I ________________________ (run).
26. Your coat smells awful! ________________________ (you smoke)?
27. Paul ________________________ (believe) in God since he was a child.
28. Daughter: Mum, Jane ________________________ (phone / just) to ask if I will go to the cinema with her. May
I?
Mother: ________________________ (you / do) your homework yet?
Daughter: Well, I ________________________ (do) it for about 2 hours now, but I
________________________ (finish / not) it yet.
Mother: If you ________________________ (complete / not) your homework, you cannot go. Shool comes first.
Remember, you ________________________ (promise) me to study harder this year.
Daughter: But mum, I ________________________ (work) really hard this year and I
________________________ (improve / already) in Maths and Chemistry.
Mother: But that's only because I have always pushed you to do something.
Daughter: But I also need a break some time. Look, I ________________________ (be / not) to the cinema for
two months. May I go? Just this once.

II Prepositions of time:

1. World War I and World War II were _____ the 20th

century. 12. I felt very tired _____ Christmas day.
at for in into on at for in into on

2. We sent a lot of postcards _____ Easter. 13. I broke my leg _____ December.
at in into on since for in into on since

3. I woke up _____ the middle of the night. 14. She was born _____ 1968.
in of on since to at for in on since

4. I slept a lot _____ Saturdays. 15. We always visited our parents _____ Christmas.
for in of on to at beyond in on to

5. They broadcast _____ Monday evenings. 16. I sang and danced _____ my birthday.
for in into of on at in into on to

6. I went swimming _____ the evenings. 17. It rained a lot _____ the spring.
since on into in at at in on through to

7. They both were born _____ 9th May. 18. I drove a car _____ the morning.
onto on into in at at in inside on up

8. I woke up _____ midnight exactly. 19. I got up _____ six o'clock.

at for in on since at during in on through

9. He was a very popular singer _____ the 1980s. 20. I saw you _____ Thursday.
at for in on to over on into in at

10. What did you do _____ the weekend? III

at in of on to
Ken: Hey, Jerry! When are you going to Europe?
11. He came _____ quarter to twelve. Jerry: I arrive in Munich ____ April 23rd.
on in for during at Ken: Wow! I'll be in Munich ____ the same day!
Ken: When does your flight arrive?
Jerry: _____ 8:00 in the morning.
Ken: Do you want to meet for lunch?
Jerry: Sure! I'll meet you _____ noon at the
Hofbrau Haus.
Ken: How long will you be in Munich?
Jerry: About a week. I'm going to Turkey ____
May. What about you?
Ken: I'm going to Estonia ____ May 6th.
Jerry: When are you returning to the United States?
Ken: I'll be back ___ the fall.
Jerry: Me too! When is your flight?
Ken: It's____ September 28th.
Jerry: Me too! When do you arrive in San
Francisco?
Ken: My flight lands ____ 5:00 PM.
Jerry: My flight arrives___ 4:45. I'll meet you in the
airport bar. Maybe we can share a taxi.