Name the Tense
Which tense is used to talk about life experiences at an unspecified time?
Present perfect
She __________ to Japan three times.
A. has gone
B. has been
C. has been going
D. had gone
B. has been
Why do we use the Present Perfect Progressive?
She has been studying for three hours.
To emphasize duration.
I have been known him for years.
I have known him for years.
(Stative verbs like know are generally not used in progressive tenses.)
Simple Past
I visited Paris.
→ Change it to the Present Perfect.
I have visited Paris.
Which tense emphasizes an activity that started in the past and is still continuing now?
Present perfect progressive
They __________ for the bus for 30 minutes.
A. have waited
B. have been waiting
C. had waited
D. had been waited
B. have been waiting
Why do we use the Past Perfect Progressive?
He had been driving for six hours before he stopped.
To emphasize the duration of the activity before another past event.
We had waiting for two hours before the bus arrived.
We had been waiting for two hours before the bus arrived.
John cleaned the house. Then he watched TV.
→ Rewrite using the Past Perfect.
John had cleaned the house before he watched TV.
Which tense shows the first completed action before another action in the past?
Past perfect
By the time we arrived, the movie __________.
A. has started
B. had started
C. has been starting
D. had been starting
B. had started
Which tenses answer How long...?
Present Perfect Progressive and Past Perfect Progressive
He had been finished his homework before dinner.
He had finished his homework before dinner.
Complete the sentence using the correct perfect tense.
When the teacher entered the classroom, the students __________ (wait) for twenty minutes.
When the teacher entered the classroom, the students had been waiting for twenty minutes.
Which tense emphasizes how long an activity had been happening before another past event?
Past Perfect Progressive
She was tired because she __________ all afternoon.
A. has worked
B. had worked
C. had been working
D. has been worked
C. had been working
Why do we use the Present Perfect in this sentence?
I have already eaten lunch.
The action is completed and connected to the present.
They have working since Monday.
They have been working since Monday.
Tom worked all night. Then he took a nap.
→ Rewrite using the Past Perfect Progressive.
Tom had been working all night before he took a nap.
Which two perfect tenses emphasize duration rather than completion?
Present Perfect Progressive and Past Perfect Progressive
I __________ this book, so you can borrow it now.
A. have finished
B. have been finishing
C. had finished
D. had been finishing
A. have finished
Why do we use the Past Perfect?
The train had left before we arrived.
To show which past action happened first.
She has already been ate dinner.
She has already eaten dinner.
Simple Present
She studies English every day.
→ Make a sentence using the Present Perfect Progressive.
She has been studying English for three years.