Answer — Exercise 7
5.1 - Are you creative?·New Total English Intermediate - Students' Book
Question
The sentences below use the wrong verb tenses. Work in pairs and say why the underlined tenses are wrong.
Answer
- The question is about how long something has taken, so the Present Perfect Continuous is better.
- The Present Perfect Simple indicates that the cleaning has recently been finished. Use the Present Perfect Continuous to show that it is incomplete.
- The Present Perfect Continuous indicates that the attempt to give up is incomplete. Use the Present Perfect Simple to show that it is now complete.
- The continuous form can’t be used with state verbs.
- The Present Perfect Continuous is better to emphasise the repetition of the activity.