Present Perfect Continuous ESL Activities, Games and Worksheets
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
