Warm-up

Let's see what comes to mind — no notes, and don't worry about mistakes.

You already know this form. Complete this sentence:

"I already checked my phone about ten times today!"

SPEAK

Have a go out loud: say two things you've already done today. Start each one with "I've...".

Listen in on this conversation

Ali: Hey! Sorry I'm late — I've been trying to park for ten minutes!

Jo: No stress at all. Actually, good news — I've fixed my bike, so I rode over instead of driving.

Look at both bold verb phrases above. One tells you about an activity that took time. One tells you about a finished job with a result right now — a working bike! Which is which? Say your idea out loud before you check.

Check your idea CLICK

've been trying = an activity that carried on for a while (ten minutes of trying). 've fixed = a finished action with a result right now — the bike works, so Jo could ride it here. Today we look at exactly this difference.

Today: two ways to use the present perfect — I've done it (a finished result) and I've been doing it (an activity or duration) — so you can catch up with friends about jobs, hobbies and work.

Getting Things Done: "I've tidied it"

For a finished job — the action is over, and the result is what matters now.

Spot the pattern

Three everyday updates:

"I've tidied my desk — much better now."
"She's finished the report early."
"We've fixed the printer, at last."

Before you check: what two ingredients appear in every bold phrase?

Check the pattern CLICK

have / has + past participle (tidied, finished, fixed). No time word is needed — it's about the result you can see or feel right now.

have / has + past participle

A fact in the past vs a result now

"I washed the car yesterday."

→

"I've washed the car — look, it's clean!"

Both sentences are correct English. The first is just a fact about yesterday. The second connects the action to a result you can point to right now.

Your turn

Type the missing verb phrase.

1. You've just replied to every message in your inbox.

Tell a colleague: "I all my emails."

2. Your sister just wrote a thank-you card for Grandma.

Report to your mum: "She the card."

SPEAK

Say three jobs around your home that you've already finished this week — cleaning, cooking, fixing, tidying. Start each one with "I've...".

How Long Have You Been...?

For an activity or a duration — something that started in the past and is still going, or has just stopped.

Spot the pattern

"I've been learning Spanish for two years."
"She's been working from home since March."
"How long have you been waiting?" — "About ten minutes."

What's the structure this time? Say it before you check.

Check the pattern CLICK

have / has + been + verb-ing (learning, working, waiting). The focus is the activity itself and how long it's lasted — not a finished result.

have / has + been + verb-ing
How long have / has ... been + verb-ing?

    for + a length of time ("for two years", "for ten minutes")

    since + a starting point ("since March", "since Monday")

Your turn

1. The neighbour's dog started barking twenty minutes ago and it hasn't stopped.

Tell a friend: "That dog for twenty minutes!"

2. Your neighbour is really good at guitar, and you want to know for how long.

Ask them: "How long have you the guitar?"

3. You moved to this city in 2019 and you still live there.

Complete: "I've lived here 2019."

SPEAK

Tell me about something you've been doing for a while — a hobby, a course, a habit. Say how long, using "for" or "since".

Result or Activity?

Same present perfect family, two different jobs. And a few verbs that only ever do one of them.

Spot the pattern

"I've read that book." vs "I've been reading that book all week."
"He's eaten." vs "He's been eating my snacks again!"
"I've known her since school." (there's no continuous version of this one)

What's different in meaning between the first two pairs? And why do you think the third pair only has one form? Say your ideas before you check.

Check the pattern CLICK

The simple form (I've read, he's eaten) points to the finished result. The continuous form (I've been reading, he's been eating) points to the activity itself — sometimes still going, sometimes just stopped, and it can even sound a bit annoyed ("he's been eating my snacks again!"). Know describes a state, not an action, so it doesn't take the continuous form. Other state verbs behave the same way: like, love, want, believe, own, need, understand.

have / has + past participle → a finished result
have / has + been + verb-ing → an activity or duration
(state verbs like know, like, want, need don't usually take the continuous form)

Your turn

1. You've spent the whole afternoon writing an essay, and you just typed the last word.

Tell a friend, focusing on the result: "I my essay — finally!"

2. You've spent the whole afternoon writing, your hand aches, and you're still not finished.

Tell a friend, focusing on the activity: "My hand hurts — I all afternoon."

3. You and this café go way back — you've never stopped going since it opened.

Complete: "I this café since it opened."

4. Which sentence is correct?

SPEAK

Think of one thing you've finished recently (a result) and one thing you've been doing for a while (an activity). Say both out loud, one sentence each.

Your Turn to Talk

Time to use both forms in one real catch-up — this time, it's all you.

The situation

Imagine you're catching up with a friend you haven't seen in a while. (If nothing comes to mind, invent it.)

Talk for one minute. Try to include:

Something you've finished or done recently (a result).
Something you've been doing lately (an activity).
How long you've been doing it, using "for" or "since".

01:00

Now put it in writing

Write a short catch-up message (3–5 sentences) to that same friend. Use all three things from today — a result, an activity, and "for" or "since". The checker will tell you which ones it finds.

Mix It Up

Real life doesn't tell you which form to use. Here everything is mixed — you decide.

Fix the mistakes

Each sentence has one grammar mistake. Rewrite the whole sentence correctly.

1. "I've been knowing him for years."

2. "I am living here since 2020."

3. "I've lived here since five years."

4. "I've painting all weekend."

Which form fits?

5. You've just eaten dinner — your plate is empty. "Look — ___!"

6. Someone's clothes are covered in paint, and the job isn't finished yet. "Don't touch me — ___!"

7. Which sentence is correct?

SPEAK

One-minute challenge: imagine you're texting a friend after a long day. Say two things you've finished today (results) and two things you've been doing today (activities).

What Do You Remember?

First, from earlier lessons

1. The form you knew before today. Complete with the simple past: "I my grandparents last weekend." (visit)

2. Say it out loud: what's the difference between "for" and "since"? Give one example of each.

Compare with a possible answer CLICK

A possible answer: for + a length of time ("for three years", "for a while"); since + a starting point ("since 2020", "since Monday").

Now, today's grammar — fresh sentences, no looking back

3. You just finished cooking dinner. Tell your family: "I dinner — come and eat!"

4. A friend has spent months getting ready for a marathon, and they're not stopping yet. Ask them: "How long have you for the marathon?" (train)

5. You've owned your car for six years and you still have it. Complete: "I this car for six years."

Think back

Which practice helped you most today — noticing the pattern yourself, fixing the mistakes, or the speaking tasks? Say why you think that one worked for you.

Can you now...?

At the start we said: two present perfect forms so you can catch up with friends about jobs, hobbies and work. Tick what's true:

I can talk about a finished result with have / has + done — "I've tidied my desk."
I can talk about an activity or duration with have / has been + doing, using for or since — "I've been learning Spanish for two years."
I can remember that some verbs (like know, want, have) don't usually take the continuous form — "I've known him for years," not "I've been knowing him."

    Anything you didn't tick — go back to that tab and try the exercises once more. They'll still check your answers.
  