Present Perfect Continuous Tense - Test (MCQ) - TOEIC MCQ

Present Perfect continuous 
How long has he been seeing her? - Not long, but they’re getting married next month.

Explanation:
The better or more likely sentence is B: "I have been cooking" for the last two hours and now you tell me you're not hungry!
Here's a detailed explanation:
1. Verb tense: Sentence A uses the simple past tense "I have cooked," which indicates that the cooking is completed. Sentence B uses the present perfect continuous tense "I have been cooking," which suggests an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening in the present.
2. Duration of the action: Sentence B specifies that the cooking has been happening for the last two hours, indicating a continuous activity over a period of time. Sentence A does not provide this information.
3. Context: Sentence B includes the phrase "and now you tell me you're not hungry," which implies that the speaker is frustrated or annoyed by the fact that they have been cooking for a long time but the other person is not hungry. This emotional context is not present in sentence A.
4. Likelihood: In most cases, when someone says they have been cooking for a certain duration, it is more likely that they are referring to an ongoing activity rather than a completed action. Therefore, sentence B is more likely to be the better choice in this scenario.
Overall, sentence B provides more information about the ongoing nature of the cooking activity and conveys the speaker's frustration, making it the better or more likely sentence in this context.

He’s put on a lot of weight since he came to Germany is more likely.

Explanation:

1. Context:

The question is asking which sentence is better or more likely in a given context. The context is someone asking another person why they are crying.

2. Sentence A:

• The sentence is "Why are you crying? - I've cut onions."


• Issue: The use of the present perfect tense "I've cut" suggests that the action of cutting onions has already been completed.


• Explanation: This sentence implies that the person is crying because they have finished cutting onions in the past and are now experiencing the effects (such as tears). However, this explanation does not make logical sense as the effects of cutting onions usually occur immediately and not after the action has been completed.

3. Sentence B:

• The sentence is "Why are you crying? - I've been cutting onions."


• Issue: The use of the present perfect continuous tense "I've been cutting" suggests that the action of cutting onions has been happening continuously.


• Explanation: This sentence implies that the person is crying because they have been continuously cutting onions. This explanation is more logical and likely as the effects of cutting onions, such as tears, would occur while the person is in the process of cutting them.

4. Conclusion:

Sentence B, "Why are you crying? - I've been cutting onions," is the better and more likely sentence as it provides a logical explanation for the person's tears by suggesting that they are currently cutting onions.

Explanation:

The better and more likely sentence is:

• Has the film started yet?

Here's why:

• Verb tense: The verb "started" in sentence A is in the present perfect tense, which is commonly used to talk about actions that began in the past and continue up to the present. This is the appropriate tense to use when asking about the current status of the film.


• Verb form: Sentence A uses the correct verb form "Has started," which is the present perfect tense of "start." Sentence B, on the other hand, uses the incorrect verb form "Has been starting," which does not convey the intended meaning.


• Natural phrasing: Sentence A is the more natural and commonly used phrasing when asking about the start of a film. Sentence B sounds awkward and unnatural.

Therefore, the better and more likely sentence is "Has the film started yet?"

Explanation:
The better and more likely sentence is B: "They have been building the new road around the school for more than a year." Here's why:
1. Present Perfect Continuous Tense: Sentence B uses the present perfect continuous tense, which indicates an action that started in the past, is still ongoing, and may continue into the future. This tense is used to emphasize the duration of the action.
2. Contextual Clues: The phrase "for more than a year" suggests a prolonged duration of the action. Sentence B accurately conveys this information by using the present perfect continuous tense.
3. Logical Progression: Building a road is a continuous process that takes time and effort. It is more likely that the construction of a road would take more than a year rather than being completed within that timeframe.
4. Consistency: Sentence B maintains consistency in verb tense by using the present perfect continuous tense throughout the sentence. This helps to convey a clear and coherent message.
In summary, sentence B is the better and more likely option because it accurately conveys the ongoing and continuous nature of the road construction that has been taking place for more than a year.

There are several factors to consider when determining which sentence is better or more likely in this scenario.
Context:
- Consider the context of the conversation and the specific situation in which the question is being asked.
Grammar:
- Examine the grammar and usage of the two sentences to determine which one is more appropriate.
Meaning:
- Consider the specific meaning and implication of each sentence.
Frequency of usage:
- Determine which sentence is more commonly used in similar situations.
Based on these factors, it can be concluded that sentence A, "Have you done your homework?" is more likely to be the better option. Here's why:
1. Context:
- Sentence A, "Have you done your homework?" is commonly used in a general context where the teacher is simply asking if the student has completed their homework.
- Sentence B, "Have you been doing your homework?" suggests a continuous or ongoing action, which might imply that the teacher is asking if the student has been consistently doing their homework over a period of time.
2. Grammar:
- Both sentences are grammatically correct, but they have different tense forms.
- Sentence A is in the present perfect tense, indicating that the action of completing the homework is relevant to the present moment.
- Sentence B is in the present perfect continuous tense, suggesting that the action of doing homework has been happening continuously or repeatedly.
3. Meaning:
- Sentence A, "Have you done your homework?" focuses on the completion of the homework task.
- Sentence B, "Have you been doing your homework?" suggests a focus on the ongoing process of doing homework.
4. Frequency of usage:
- Sentence A, "Have you done your homework?" is more commonly used in everyday conversations and is considered a standard form of asking about homework completion.
- Sentence B, "Have you been doing your homework?" is less commonly used in this specific context and might be more appropriate when discussing a pattern or behavior over time.
Overall, while both sentences are grammatically correct, sentence A, "Have you done your homework?" is more likely to be the better option in most situations. It is a more common and straightforward way of asking about homework completion.

Background:

The question asks for the better or more likely sentence between two options.

Analysis:

A: "Someone has taken my dictionary!"

• The sentence is in the present perfect tense.


• It suggests that the action of taking the dictionary occurred at an unspecified time in the past and has a connection to the present.


• This sentence implies that the dictionary is currently missing.

B: "Someone has been taking my dictionary!"

• The sentence is in the present perfect continuous tense.


• It indicates that the action of taking the dictionary started in the past, continued for a period of time, and may still be ongoing.


• This sentence implies that the dictionary has been taken multiple times.

Based on the information provided, the better or more likely sentence is A: "Someone has taken my dictionary!"

• Since there is no indication of multiple occurrences of the action, the continuous form in sentence B is not necessary.


• The simple past tense in sentence A suggests a single instance of the action, which is more likely in this context.

Conclusion:

The sentence "Someone has taken my dictionary!" is the better or more likely option between the two given sentences.

Analysis:

The two sentences in question are:

A: Has John told you about the party next week? - No, I haven't seen him today.

B: Has John been telling you about the party next week? - No, I haven't seen him today.
Explanation:

Both sentences are grammatically correct and convey a similar meaning. However, there is a subtle difference in the tense used in each sentence. Let's analyze the two options:
A: Has John told you about the party next week?

- This sentence uses the present perfect tense ("Has told") which indicates a completed action in the past with a connection to the present moment.

- The focus is on whether John has informed the person about the party.
B: Has John been telling you about the party next week?

- This sentence uses the present perfect continuous tense ("Has been telling") which indicates a continuous action that started in the past and is still ongoing.

- The focus is on whether John has been continuously informing the person about the party.
Reasoning:

Based on the context provided, it is more likely that option A is the better choice. Here's why:

- The question implies a single instance of John informing about the party.

- The response "No, I haven't seen him today" indicates that the person has not had any recent contact with John.

- This suggests that John has not had the opportunity to inform the person about the party recently.
Conclusion:

Considering the context and the lack of recent contact with John, it is more likely that option A, "Has John told you about the party next week?" is the better or more likely choice.

Has John been telling you about the party next week? - No, we were talking about last weekend is more likely to the other sentence.