Speaking:
What Have You Been Doing?
Grouping:
Time:
Pairs → Whole class
15 minutes
Aim
Students will use the present perfect continuous to talk about recent activities and their effects.
Materials
• A set of situation cards with prompts like:
• Your clothes are wet. What have you been doing?
• Your hands are covered in paint. What have you been doing?
• You look very tired. What have you been doing?
Preparation
• Write example sentences on the board:
• I have been studying for three hours.
• She has been running, so she is out of breath.
Activity Breakdown
1. Students take turns drawing a situation card and responding using the present perfect continuous.
2. Their partner asks follow-up questions to get more details.
3. Some students share their answers with the whole class.
Instructions
1. Take a card and read the situation.
2. Think of a reason using “have/has been + verb-ing.”
3. Say your answer to your partner.
4. Answer their follow-up question.
5. Share with the class.
Concept Checking Questions
• “Is the action finished?” (No).
• “Does it have an effect now?” (Yes).
• “What verb form follows ‘have/has been’?” (Verb + -ing).
Examples
• I have been cooking all afternoon, so the kitchen is a mess.
• She has been practicing the piano, so she is improving.
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Students must explain how long they have been doing the activity.
• Easier: Provide sentence starters (e.g., I have been… because…).
Error Correction
• Teacher corrects common mistakes in structure (e.g., I have been study instead of I have been studying).
Writing:
A Day in My Life
Grouping:
Time:
Individual → Pairs
20 minutes
Aim
Students will write a short paragraph describing their recent activities using the present perfect continuous.
Materials
• A worksheet with writing prompts such as:
• Describe three things you have been doing this week.
• Talk about a skill you have been practicing.
Preparation
• Write a model example on the board:
• I have been learning Spanish for six months.
Activity Breakdown
1. Students choose a prompt and write a short paragraph.
2. They swap papers with a partner to underline present perfect continuous structures.
3. They read one interesting sentence to the class.
Instructions
1. Read the prompt.
2. Write 5-7 sentences using “have/has been + verb-ing.”
3. Swap with a partner and check for mistakes.
4. Underline the present perfect continuous in their text.
5. Share one sentence with the class.
Concept Checking Questions
• “Is this about the past or present?” (Both).
• “Is the action finished?” (No).
Examples
• I have been going to the gym every morning.
• She has been working on a big project for a month.
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Students write a diary entry instead of a short paragraph.
• Easier: Provide sentence starters.
Error Correction
• Teacher gives individual and whole-class feedback.
Listening:
What’s the Story?
Grouping:
Time:
Pairs
15 minutes
Aim
Students will listen to descriptions of ongoing actions and identify the cause-and-effect relationship.
Materials
• A short audio recording or teacher-read sentences with clues, such as:
• Her shoes are muddy, and she looks tired.
• His hands are covered in flour, and the kitchen smells like cookies.
Preparation
• Prepare a list of statements with context clues.
Activity Breakdown
1. The teacher reads out a sentence describing a result.
2. Students discuss in pairs and guess what the person has been doing.
3. They write down their answers using the present perfect continuous.
4. The class checks answers together.
Instructions
1. Listen to the description.
2. Think about what the person has been doing.
3. Discuss your ideas with your partner.
4. Write your answer using “have/has been + verb-ing.”
5. Share with the class.
Concept Checking Questions
• “Did the action happen in the past?” (Yes).
• “Is the action still affecting the present?” (Yes).
Examples
• She has been gardening because her hands are dirty.
• He has been playing football because his clothes are muddy.
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Students must create their own clues for others to guess.
• Easier: Provide multiple-choice options.
Error Correction
• Teacher monitors and corrects any tense errors.
Reading:
Sentence Scramble
Grouping:
Time:
Pairs
15 minutes
Aim
Students will reconstruct present perfect continuous sentences from jumbled words.
Materials
• A worksheet with scrambled sentences, e.g.:
• been / have / they / waiting / for / two hours → They have been waiting for two hours.
• has / she / practicing / been / the piano / all day → She has been practicing the piano all day.
Preparation
• Prepare 6-8 scrambled sentences for students to rearrange.
Activity Breakdown
1. Students work in pairs to unscramble sentences.
2. They write the correct sentences and check grammar.
3. They read their sentences aloud.
Instructions
1. Look at the words.
2. Arrange them in the correct order.
3. Write the full sentence.
4. Check with a partner.
5. Read aloud to the class.
Concept Checking Questions
• “What tense is this?” (Present perfect continuous).
• “Where do we put ‘have/has been’?” (Before the -ing verb).
Examples
• I have been studying for my exam all morning.
• He has been playing video games since lunch.
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Include unnecessary words as distractions.
• Easier: Provide a model sentence first.
Error Correction
• Teacher highlights word order mistakes.