Have done or have been doing?

  • B2 · Upper-intermediate
  • Grammar lesson
  • 60 min
  • present perfect simple or continuous

have done or have been doing? The result (So far, I've painted the ceiling) against the activity (I've been painting since seven this morning). The student reads a blog about a sailboat built in a garage, tells finished jobs from unfinished ones, and gives a progress report on a long project.

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have donehave been doingHow long?

What's in the lesson

  1. 1Warm-up
  2. 2In this lesson
  3. 3Reading: Kerstin's boat blogReading comprehension
  4. 4What does it mean?Grammar exercise
  5. 5Find the simple formsGrammar exercise
  6. 6have done or have been doing?Grammar rule
  7. 7Finished, or not yet?Grammar exercise
  8. 8Which form fits?Grammar exercise
  9. 9The update emailGrammar exercise
  10. 10Questions for your teacherGrammar exercise
  11. 11Say it naturallySpeaking practice
  12. 12Progress reportSpeaking practice
  13. 13About youGrammar exercise
  14. 14Wrap-up

Homework

  1. 1Homework: a message from GrandpaGrammar exercise
  2. 2Homework: find the mistakeGrammar exercise
  3. 3Homework: which sentence is correct?Grammar exercise
  4. 4Homework: a progress postDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

  1. What is the biggest thing you have ever made or fixed with your own hands?
  2. Is there a long project in your life right now? How is it going?
  3. Have you ever been on a sailboat? Would you like to learn to sail?

Grammar rule

have done or have been doing?

have donehave been doing
Formhave / has + past participlehave / has + been + -ing
It is aboutthe result: what is done, how many, how muchthe activity: how long, what has kept you busy
Is it finished?usually: the job is donenot always: it may still be going on, or it has just stopped
ExampleHe's mowed the lawn and washed the car.He's been working in the yard all morning.
QuestionsHow many…? How much…? Have you finished…?How long have you been doing it?
Typical time wordsso far, already, yet, ever, never, once, twice, three timesfor, since, all day, all morning, all week, lately

Short and long times

  • For an activity within one day (all morning, since 8 a.m., for an hour), the continuous is the natural choice: I've been answering emails since 8 a.m.
  • With longer times and verbs like live, work, study and teach, both forms are fine: She's taught / She's been teaching here for ten years. With the continuous, it sounds like an activity that goes on.

Watch out

  • A count (how many things, how many times) needs the simple form: I've checked the mail five times today. (not I've been checking the mail five times today)
  • State verbs (know, own, believe, belong, need) stay simple: We've known about it for weeks. (not We've been knowing)
  • With since and for, use the present perfect, not the present: I live here since 2019 → I've lived / I've been living here since 2019.
  • After been, always -ing: They've been argue → They've been arguing.

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