Foscari - Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica

Interest rates have been going up all year. (and have not stopped going up)
b To specifically quantify an action, e.g. talk about the number of times it happened. Use the
present perfect simple instead - compare:
He's been talking on the phone all morning. (and he is still talking now)
He's made a least 25 phone calls this morning.
A Underline the correct form in italics.
1 I have written / been writing emails all morning - I have written / been writing 20 so far.
2 We have received / been receiving no reply to our request far information.
3 He has worked / been working too hard that's why he's always so tired.
4 He has worked / been working for several different companies. He has worked / been working
for his current company for six months.
5 They have known / been knowing each other since they were at school together.
B Read these extracts from emails and letters. Put the verbs in italics into the past simple,
present perfect, or present perfect continuous.
1 I hear you have problems with the new system. Sorry about this. I speak to the Systems
Manager and she promise to get back to you by lunchtime. She also ask me if you could send
her the log file.
2 Thanks for buying me lunch yesterday. Great to see you. It made a nice change as I be so busy
lately. By the way, I forget to ask you if you could give me your boss's email address. We work
on a project recently which I think she would be interested in. Anyway take care and speak to
you soon.
3 We note from our records that we still not receive any payment for our invoice dated 3 March,
reference number ZX45791. I would like to point out that this is the third time we request
payment. I would be grateful if you would contact me about this as a matter of urgency. I try to
ring you several times and I Ieave several messages with your secretary. I enclose a further copy
of our invoice.
C For 1 and 2, choose the correct answer
1 She's been living here for six months.
When did she arrive?
a six months ago b we don 't know
2 I’ve been reading a computer manual.
Does this mean that I have completed the manual?
a yes b probably not
Present Perfect simple and continuous
Exercise 1
Complete the sentences by putting the verbs in brackets into a form of the present perfect. Use
contractions where possible.
1 Are you sure it isn't working? ……………………. (you/try) it?
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