A. Read the following telephonic conversation between two friends and notice the sentences in bold.
Azad: Hello, Azad speaking.
Asif : This is Asif here. What are you doing?
Azad: Watching television.
Asif : How long have you been watching it?
Azad : I have been watching it for about an hour.
Asif : Can you see me within an hour?
Azad: It is raining hard.
Asif : Since when has it been raining?
Azad : It has been raining since 7 o'clock.
Asif : Then come when the rain stops.
Azad: Ok, bye.
The sentences in bold refer to an incomplete action which started in the past but is still going on. They are examples of the present perfect continuous tense.
Look at the sentences again and see the verb forms in each sentence.
B. Now complete the following dialogue.
Reza: How long have you been waiting here?
Anwar: _________?
Reza: __________ ?
Anwar: I have been looking for you since morning.
Verb Form: In the present perfect continuous tense you need to use 'have/has+been' as auxiliary verbs after the subject and then the present participle form of the main verb (verb + ing)
So, the verb form is: have been/has been +main verb+ing
In the sentences above see how 'since' and 'for'are used
N.B. Remember that 'For' indicates the total duration of the action and 'since' indicates the starting time of the action.
C. Ask questions using the following verbs in the present perfect continuous tense and then answer them in the same tense.
walk, read, drive, dance and speak
D. Write five more sentences using the present perfect continuous tense. Include negative and interrogative sentences.
a _______ b ______ c ________ d _______ e _________
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