All English 4U

ALL ENGLISH 4U · B1 GRAMMAR PRACTICE

100% Original Practice Test
UNIT 4 · All English 4U · B1 Grammar

Unit 4: Present Perfect Simple & Continuous“have/has + past participle; have/has been + -ing” – 47 interactive questions

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100% Original Practice Test · The Hilltop Community Garden
Study the quick notes below, then work through exercises A–F for this unit. Use Check answers for an exercise, or Submit & Grade for all 47 questions. Read an explanation for every answer. Created by All English 4U.

📖 Grammar Reference – Present Perfect Simple & Continuous

Study the notes, then work through the exercises for this unit.

Choose the form by asking what you want to say.Use the simple form to focus on a result, amount or experience. Use the continuous form to focus on an activity and how long it has been happening, or on its recent evidence.

How to Form It

Both forms connect an earlier action or situation to the present.

RESULT · AMOUNT · EXPERIENCE · STATE

Present perfect simple

Use have / has with the past participle when the result, completed amount, experience or continuing state matters now.

Maya has labelled all the seed trays.The labels are complete, so the trays are ready.
Positive
subject + have / has + past participleWe have chosen a place for the new bench.
Negative
subject + have not / has not + past participleOmar hasn’t finished the plan yet.
Question
Have / Has + subject + past participle?Have the children planted the beans?

Remember: use the past participle, not the past simple form: has written, not has wrote. Some participles are irregular: make → made; grow → grown; see → seen.

ACTIVITY · DURATION · RECENT EVIDENCE

Present perfect continuous

Use have / has been with verb-ing when the activity or its duration is in focus.

Omar has been building a compost box.He is still working on it; the boards and tools are beside him.
Positive
subject + have / has been + verb-ingThey have been clearing the path.
Negative
subject + have not / has not been + verb-ingLeila hasn’t been sleeping well this week.
Question
Have / Has + subject + been + verb-ing?How long have you been waiting?

Remember: keep both parts: been + verb-ing. Write has been planting, not has planting or has been plant.

Past participles and -ing formsgrow → grownchoose → chosenmake → madedig → diggingwater → watering

Clue Words & Patterns

Time expressions give useful information. First decide whether the sentence focuses on a result or an activity.

Result, amount or experience

alreadyjustyeteverneverso far

We have filled all eight water bottles.

The finished number is important. Present perfect simple.

Activity or duration

for two hourssince breakfastall morninglatelyrecently

We have been filling bottles since breakfast.

The activity and how long it has continued are in focus.

Same garden. Different focus.

COMPLETED RESULT

Nia has painted the noticeboard.

It is finished and ready for visitors.
ACTIVITY AND VISIBLE EVIDENCE

Nia has been painting the noticeboard.

Her hands are blue; the sentence focuses on the recent activity. It may or may not be finished.
COMPLETED AMOUNT

We have picked twelve apples.

The number collected is clear.
ACTIVITY OVER A PERIOD

We have been picking apples for an hour.

The time spent on the activity is in focus; no total is given.
STATE THAT CONTINUES

I have known the site manager since 2021.

Know describes a state. Use the simple form.
ACTIVITY THAT CONTINUES

I have been helping at the garden since 2021.

Help describes an activity that began then and continues.
For and since answer different questions.

For + a length of time: for three months, for ages. Since + a starting point: since May, since we opened. Either perfect form may appear, depending on whether the speaker focuses on the state/result or on the ongoing activity.

Other useful patterns: been, gone and finished past times

Been to can describe a completed visit or experience: Maya has been to the seed shop twice. She went and came back.Compare gone to: Omar has gone to the tool shed. He is still there or on the way.

Do not use the present perfect with a finished past-time expression. Say: We opened the garden last May. The time is over, so use the past simple.Say: We have opened the garden already when the exact finished time is not stated and the present result matters.

Already, just and yet have common positions. Already and just usually come between have/has and the participle: has already planted, has just arrived. Yet often comes at the end of a question or negative: Have they arrived yet?

Watch Out & Common Mistakes

Check the auxiliary, the verb form, the time reference and the meaning you want to emphasise.

1. Using the past form after have

WrongNia has wrote the plant labels.

BetterNia has written the plant labels.

Have/has needs the past participle. Write → wrote → written.
2. Leaving out been

WrongWe have working since nine.

BetterWe have been working since nine.

The continuous pattern is have/has + been + verb-ing.
3. Using has with a plural subject

WrongThe gardeners has finished the beds.

BetterThe gardeners have finished the beds.

Use have with I, you, we, they and plural subjects; use has with he, she, it and singular subjects.
4. Putting a finished time with the present perfect

WrongWe have met the new caretaker yesterday.

BetterWe met the new caretaker yesterday.

Yesterday is a finished past time, so use the past simple.
5. Forcing a state verb into the continuous

WrongI have been knowing the coordinator for years.

BetterI have known the coordinator for years.

Know describes a state here, so the present perfect simple is usual.
6. Treating the continuous as proof of completion

Wrong ideaThey have been painting the shed, so the shed is definitely finished.

BetterThey have been painting the shed; there is paint on their clothes.

The continuous shows the activity or its evidence. It does not say the job is complete.
Some verbs describe states, but meaning matters.

Verbs such as know, believe, own and understand usually take a simple form when they describe a state: I have owned this spade for years. A verb can take a continuous form with an activity meaning: I have been having weekly planning meetings. Do not choose a form from the verb alone.

Quick check: choose, then open the reason

These three guide questions are for practice and do not add to the test score.

1. The list is complete: We have packed / have been packing all ten boxes.Check explanation

have packed — all ten boxes and the complete list give a finished amount/result. Use the present perfect simple.

2. Her gloves are muddy, and half the trees are still unplanted. She has planted / has been planting the young trees.Check explanation

has been planting — the muddy gloves and unfinished job show the recent, ongoing activity. The focus is on that activity.

3. How long have you known / have you been knowing the garden manager?Check explanation

have you known — know describes a state, so use the present perfect simple with a duration question.

Before you start Exercise AAsk: Is the focus a result, amount, experience or state? Or is it an activity and its duration or evidence? Then check the subject, auxiliary and verb form.

Check your whole test

Submit to grade your whole test, OR use 👁 Show Answer per part / per question.

Review your learning

For each correction, identify a current result, an experience, an ongoing activity or a finished past event. Check have/has + past participle, have/has been + -ing, and for/since.

Show Answer displays a model and explanation while leaving your response unchanged. After editing an answer, check again. Write a short account of a community event using both present perfect forms.