Recommended Level: Upper Intermediate (B1+/B2)
This page is intended to be a resource for English learners and teachers. You can practice answering these present perfect continuous discussion questions by yourself or with a partner. You can also write the answers in a notebook, in a digital document, or in the comments section below. To help learners feel more confident and to develop grammatical accuracy, the warm-up questions have some suggested answer beginnings, which makes them ideal for students who are learning "used to" for the first time. For more challenging questions, move on to the "Let's go!" section.
Warm-up
How have you been feeling lately?
Lately, I've been feeling...
What have you been up to lately? (Meaning: What have you been doing lately?)
Lately, I've been...
Have you been sleeping well these days?
These days, I've been sleeping [well / poorly / quite well / okay / etc.].
No, I haven't been sleeping well these days.
What have you been thinking about lately? Lately, I've been thinking about...
How long have you been working at your current job? / How long have you been going to your current school?
I've been working here since / for...
I've been going here since...
What's a hobby or an activity that you've been doing for a long time?
I've been _____ for a long time.
How often have you been checking your phone today?
Today, I've been checking my phone every _____ minutes/hours.
Have you been eating well lately?
Yes, I have. / Yes, I've been eating well.
No, I haven't. / No, I haven't been eating well.
Have you been getting enough exercise these days?
Yes, I have. / Yes, I've been getting enough exercise.
No, I haven't. / No, I haven't been getting enough exercise.
Have you been spending more time indoors or outdoors over the past week?
Over the past week, I've been spending more time [indoors / outdoors / inside / outside].
Let's go!
Who have you been texting/messaging lately?
Have you been learning or practicing anything new lately?
Have you been listening to any good music lately?
Have you been reading any books lately?
Have you been watching any interesting movies or shows lately?
How have you been spending your free time lately?
Have you been eating out or eating in these days?
Do you think you've been staying in touch with your friends and family enough recently?
Have you been following any news stories these days?
Who have you been spending a lot of time with lately?
Have you been saving money for something special?
Which phone apps have you been using a lot lately?
Which apps or websites have been helping you to improve your English?
Have you been working on any personal projects this year?
Have you been staying focused on your current goals?
Has anyone been helping you at work or in your personal life lately?
What types of personal challenges have you been dealing with lately?
Has the cost of living been going up or down in your city? Or has it been staying stable?
Picture practice
We can use the present perfect continuous when we see the results of recent activity. For example, if you are wearing a chef's apron and you smell like food, there is a good chance that you've been cooking. What have these people been doing?
He has been...
She has been...
They have been...
Note: For the woman in the bottom right, talk about what she has not been doing.
New or temporary situations
If a situation is new or temporary, we can use the present perfect continuous. Explore the situations below and answer the questions.
Tom pulled a muscle in his leg three weeks ago. He started physio two weeks ago. What has Tom been doing to help his leg heal? Or, where has Tom been going to help his leg heal?
Ursula is visiting her cousin Stella in Boston. For now, she is staying at Stella's house. Where has Ursula been staying on her trip to Boston?
Marc recently lost his job, so he and his family have been having a hard time financially. They don't have enough money to buy food for dinner every day. They usually have to go to the food bank in the evening. Where have they been getting their dinners from lately?
The weather was very good until recently. Over the past five days, it has rained three times. How has the weather been lately?
The price of gas started going up last month. It is still going up now. What has been happening to the price of gas?
Brad had a bad argument with his wife a couple of days ago. He slept on the couch last night and the night before. He's probably going to sleep on the couch tonight, too. Where has Brad been sleeping lately?
Patti normally has dinner at her parents' house twice a week, but this week, Patti's friend is visiting her, so Patti hasn't had dinner at her parents' house like she usually does. Why not?
There was an accident on the highway, so the traffic has been slow. How has the traffic been moving?
In recent years, it's been more difficult to find a job because companies don't want to pay as many workers. In fact, companies are laying off more employees than they did in the past because they're scared of a recession. What have companies been doing more in recent years? Why?
Have you been experiencing any new or temporary situations these days?
"How long...?"
We often use the present perfect continuous to state how long we have been doing something. Use "for" at the end of your answer to talk about duration (one day, two weeks, three months, four years, etc.), and use "since" to talk about the specific past period when something happened or began.
The company lost money in 2022, 2023, and 2024. How long has the company been losing money?
They started living together in 2021. How long have they been living together?
He changed his career ten years ago. Today, he's a software developer. How long has he been working as a software developer?
They started renovating their house one month ago. The renovations still aren't finished. How long have they been renovating their house?
He went downstairs to practice playing the drums an hour and a half ago. How long has he been practicing the drums downstairs?
How long have you been living in your current home?
How long have you been supporting your favourite [soccer / hockey / basketball / etc.] team?
How long have you been taking your English studies seriously?
How long have you been answering these questions?
Think of a friend or family member who has moved at least once in their life. How long have they been living in their current country, city, town, etc.?
"Why have you been...?" / "Why haven't you been...?"
Imagine that the scenarios implied by these questions are true. Respond appropriately.
Why have you been ignoring my texts?
Possibilities: I haven't been ignoring them! / I've been ignoring them because...
Why haven't you been eating lunch this week?
Why haven't you been going swimming as much lately?
Why have you been acting so strange lately? ("Strangely" is technically correct, but "strange" is also used in this case.)
Possibility: What do you mean? How have I been acting strange?
Why haven't you been returning my calls?
Why have you been going to the library so much?
Why have you been going to bed so late this week?
Why have you been looking so tired lately?
Why have you been working so hard these days?
Why haven't you been going to your (yoga / aerobics / English / etc.) classes?
New or temporary behaviours
Just like new or temporary situations, we can use the present perfect continuous with new or temporary behaviours. For example, if one of your male friends is exhibiting a new behaviour, you can say "He's being" or "He's acting" a certain way. You can also say "He's been acting" or "He's been being" a certain way to indicate that the new action started in the past and has continued into the present. For the following questions, use "_____ has been acting" and "_____ has been being" when it's appropriate. Other options are also possible. For instance: "Normally, Bryan is pretty cheap, but this week, he's been spending a lot of money." Use whatever makes sense, including affirmative or affirmative statements.
Your friend Terri hasn't seemed like herself this week. In fact, you think her recent behaviour has been weird. How has Terri been acting recently?
Normally, David arrives on time for work. This week, he has already been late three times. What has David been doing (or not doing) this week?
Giovanna is normally very kind. This week, she is acting mean. ("Mean" means unkind, unfair, or ungenerous.) How has been acting this week?
No one in your class had been sick this year. However, that changed when one person got sick three weeks ago, and now many people are sick. What has been happening to the health of the people in your class?
Katharine used to play guitar when she was in high school. She stopped playing for over 20 years, but recently, she started playing it again. What has Katharine been doing again lately?
Normally, your boss is very cheap. However, on Monday, he spent a lot of money to improve the conditions at work. On Tuesday, he gave everyone a one-hundred-dollar bonus. And on Wednesday, he took everyone out for lunch. How has been acting (or being) this week? (What's the opposite of "cheap"?) Or, what has he been doing this week?
Virginia doesn't normally read a lot, but recently, she started reading a book that she really likes and she hasn't been able to put it down. What has Virginia been doing more lately?
Stephen loves movies. In fact, he normally watches at least one movie every day. However, recently, he has been working overtime at his job every single day, so he has been too tired to watch movies. What hasn't Stephen been doing lately?
Normally, Dina loves eating ice cream after dinner. However, she substituted ice cream for fruit over a month ago because she wants to lose weight for her sister's wedding. How has Dina's behaviour changed lately? (You can also tell Dina that she doesn't need to lose weight to look nice!)
Darek doesn't usually spend a lot of time on his computer, but he recently downloaded a game that he's really addicted to. He plays it for two or three hours every day. How has Darek's behaviour changed recently? Or, how has Darek been spending his free time lately?
How has the world been changing?
You can use the present perfect continuous to talk about how things have been changing from the past until now. Think about the world over the past five to ten years (or more if you'd like!), then answer these questions.
How has the world been changing in recent years?
Hint: Cars have been getting safer. Crime has been decreasing/increasing...
Have living conditions--including safety and access to food, water, safety, and shelter--been getting better or worse for most people?
In general, what has been getting better?
What has been getting worse?
Have gas prices been going up or down lately?
Have food prices been going up or down lately?
Have housing prices been going up or down lately?
Has technology been making our lives better or worse?
Have humans been becoming less or more social?
Has the quality of food been getting better or worse? Or has it stayed the same?
How have YOU been changing?
Humans are in a constant state of change. Use the present perfect continuous to talk about how you have been changing from the past until now. Read the questions below.
In general, has your life been going in a positive direction in recent years?
Have you been becoming more or less patient in recent years?
Have you been getting more or less responsible?
Have you been learning more than you have in the past?
Have you been getting healthier or less healthy in recent years?
Have you been relying more or less on technology these days?
Have you been feeling more or less anxious in recent years?
What positive habits have you been trying to adopt over the past few years?
The big finish!
Have you been feeling more or less motivated recently?
Have you been taking any online classes lately?
What is something you've been wanting to try?
Have you been waiting for any packages to arrive in the mail?
Have you been thinking about where you'd like to go on your next vacation?
Have you been using any new apps to help you manage your time?
Have you been listening to any podcasts or audiobooks recently?
Have you been trying to eat less of anything these days?
Have you been saving money for your retirement?
How have you been managing your time lately?
Have you been following any new routines lately, including exercise, diet, or anything like that?
And you're done! If you enjoyed this resource, please consider supporting my work (and continuing to improve your English!) by purchasing one of my books. Each one is available in PDF, e-Book, and paperback format. Take a look and let me know what you think! Until next time, keep practicing.
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