Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense: present perfect simple or present perfect continuous.
1 Peter: You (telephone) for ages. You not nearly (finish)?
Jack: I (not get) through yet. I (try) to get our Paris office but the line (be) engaged all morning.
2 Ann (fail) her driving test three times because she's so bad at reversing. But she (practise) reversing for the last week and I think she (get) a bit better at it.
3 Tom: I often (wonder) why Bill left the country so suddenly. Peter: Actually, I just (find) out.
4 He (play) the bagpipes since six o'clock this morning. He only just (stop).
5 Why you (not bring) me the letters for signature? You (not type) them yet?
6 Tom (looking up absent-mindedly as Mary comes in): You (sunbathe)? Mary (crossly): Don't be ridiculous! It (rain) all day!
7 A pair of robins (build) a nest in the porch since last week. I (watch) them from my window since they began.
8 The police (not find) the murderer yet, but the dead man's brother (be) in the station all day. The police say that he (help) them with their enquiries.
9 They (pull) down most of the houses in this street, but they (not touch) the old shop at the corner yet.
10 Tom is convinced that there is gold in these hills but we (search) for six months and (not see) any sign of it.
11 I (wait) for the prices of the houses to come down before buying a house, but I think I (wait) too long and the prices are beginning to go up again.
12 Peter (be) a junior clerk for three years. Lately he (look) for a better post but so far he (not find) anything.
13 I (do) housework all morning and I (not finish) yet. ~ I (do) mine already. I always start at 6 a.m.
14 I just (pick) ten pounds of strawberries! I (grow) strawberries for years but I never (have) such a good crop before.
15 What you (do) with the corkscrew? The point is broken off. ~ I'm afraid I (use) it to make holes in this tin.
16 She just (sell) two of her own paintings. ~
She's lucky. I (paint) for five years and I (not sell) a single picture yet.
17 They are throwing crockery at each other in the next flat. ~ This (happen) before? ~
Well, they (have) a good many rows but this is the first time they (throw) crockery.
18 What you (do) with my typewriter? I can't find it anywhere. ~
Tom just (go) off with it. He says he'll bring it back when he (finish).
19 He (work) for Crow Brothers for forty years and never once (be) late. The firm just (present) him with a gold watch as a sign of their appreciation.
20 We (mend) sheets all morning but we only (do) three, and now the sewing machine (break) down so we'll be even slower with the next one.
21 George (collect) matchboxes ever since he left school. Now he (collect) so many that he doesn't know where to put them.
22 I (look) through my old photograph album. It's full of photographs of people whose names I completely (forget). I wonder what (happen) to them all.
23 It was lovely at eleven o'clock, but since then the sky (get) steadily darker and the wind (rise). I'm afraid the fine spell (come) to an end.
24 Since he became Mayor, my brother reckons that he (eat) 30 official lunches and 22 official dinners, and he (lose) count of the number of receptions and parties that he (attend). ~ He (put) on a lot of weight?
25 Secretary: Customers (ring) up all morning complaining about getting incorrect bills.
Manager: I know; something (go) wrong with our computer. The mechanic (work) on it. I hope he (find) out what's wrong.
26 Someone (use) my umbrella! It's all wet! And it was wet yesterday and the day before! ~ Well, it wasn't me. I (not be) out of the house for a week!
27 I (stand) in this queue for ages. It (not move) at all in the last five minutes. I think the man in the ticket office just (shut) his window and (go) off for lunch.
28 The Town Council (consider) my application for permission to build a garage for three months. They just (give) my neighbour permission to build one, so I hope they (decide) to let me have one too.
29 You look exhausted! ~
Yes, I (play) tennis and I (not play) for years, so I'm not used to it.
30 They began widening this road three weeks ago; but the workmen (be) on«strike for the last fortnight so they (not get) very far with it.
31 That man (stand) at the bus stop for the last half hour. Shall I tell him that the last bus already (go)?
32 I wonder if anything (happen) to Tom. I (wait) an hour now. He often (keep) me waiting but he never (be) quite so late as this.
33 Mrs Brown (live) next door for quite a long time now but she never (say) more than 'Good morning' to me.
34 I just (remember) that I (not pay) the rent yet. I am surprised that the landlord (not ring) me up to remind me. ~ It is the first time you (be) late with the rent in 25 years. He probably thinks that you (pay) and he (lose) the cheque.
35 Shop assistant: Could you give me some proof of your identity, madam?
Customer: But I (shop) here for fifteen years! Shop assistant: I know, madam, but apparently the company (lose) a lot of money lately through dud cheques and they (make) new regulations which we (be told) to apply to all customers no matter how long we (know) them.
36 What you (do)? I (look) for you for ages. ~ I (build) a barbecue in the garden.
