Module code: 2174

📐 Grammar Practice

I've worked here for 30 Years vs I've been working here for 30 years

Focus: Present Perfect Simple vs Continuous — settled vs ongoing durationB125 exercises

📋 Grammar Summary

Structures: Present Perfect Simple vs Continuous — settled vs ongoing duration
Key patterns:

  • have/has + past participle + for/since (settled fact)
  • have/has been + verb-ing + for/since (ongoing activity)
Common errors addressed: Using the continuous with a state verb: 'I've been knowing her for years' instead of 'I've known her for years' • Using the continuous mechanically with a very long, established situation when the simple is more natural • Assuming an action verb must always take the continuous for duration • Treating the simple as meaning the situation has finished • Treating duration alone as an absolute tense rule instead of considering the speaker's viewpoint

🎮 Practice Activities

Simple or Continuous? Choose the Right Form

Present Perfect Simple vs Continuous — settled vs ongoing duration

Complete each sentence with the correct form.

Marco _____ in the same department for thirty years, and it feels like a permanent part of who he is.

I _____ for forty minutes and I'm still going — I can't stop yet!

She _____ Joan since they were at school together, so they are old friends.

They _____ in this city for six months, and it still feels new and exciting to them.

My grandfather _____ this house since 1975, and he has no plans to move.

I _____ tennis since I was a child — it has been a repeated habit throughout my whole life.

The team _____ on this project for three months and they haven't finished yet.

Anna _____ in hard work her whole life — it is a core part of her settled identity.

He _____ in this school for twenty-five years, and everyone sees it as a permanent fact about him.

I _____ English for two years, and I feel like I am still very much in the middle of the process.

This company _____ high-quality goods since 1950, and it is now a fixed fact in the industry.

She _____ for the results for two weeks and she is getting very anxious.

I _____ Italian food since I was a teenager — it is simply part of who I am.

Which Form Fits? Pick the Best Answer

Present Perfect Simple vs Continuous — settled vs ongoing duration

Choose the correct option to complete each sentence.

He _____ in the finance department for thirty years. It is a settled, permanent fact about his career.

We _____ for a solution since this morning and we still haven't found one.

My parents _____ in the same house since 1985. They will never move.

I _____ this car since 2010. It is old now, but I still use it every day.

She _____ in this role for only four months, and she says it still feels like a work in progress.

They _____ each other for over twenty years. It is a deep, long-term friendship.

I _____ English since I was twelve. It has been a repeated habit for most of my life.

The manager _____ the new system for a few weeks and she hasn't finished yet.

This museum _____ the same collection since it opened in 1902. It is a fixed fact about the institution.

I _____ this headache since lunch. I really need to take some medicine.

The children _____ in the garden all afternoon. They are tired but happy.

My colleague _____ in this office for twenty-two years. Everyone treats it as a permanent part of the team.