IMO Practice Test — Perfect Continuous Tenses
8 Questions • 15 min • Olympiad level
15:00
Question 1 of 8
Spot the error: 'I am living here since 2015.'
am living → have been living
since is wrong
here is wrong
no error
Explanation: An action from the past continuing to now uses the present perfect continuous: 'have been living'.
Question 2 of 8
Choose: 'By the time the guests leave, we ___ for hours.'
will cook
will have been cooking
had cooked
cook
Explanation: Duration up to a future point → future perfect continuous.
Question 3 of 8
Identify the error: 'She has been having a car for three years.'
has been having → has had
three years is wrong
car is wrong
no error
Explanation: 'have' (possess) is stative; use 'has had'.
Question 4 of 8
Fill in: 'They ___ for two hours when the rescue team finally reached them.'
have been waiting
had been waiting
will have waited
are waiting
Explanation: Ongoing before another past action → past perfect continuous.
Question 5 of 8
Which sentence best stresses an unfinished activity?
She has painted the fence.
She has been painting the fence.
She painted the fence.
She paints the fence.
Explanation: The perfect continuous suggests the activity may not be finished.
Question 6 of 8
Choose: 'How long ___ you ___ for me?'
have / been waiting
had / waited
are / waiting
will / wait
Explanation: 'How long have you been waiting?' asks about duration up to now.
Question 7 of 8
Rearrange: 'been / he / running / had / before / he / collapsed'
He had been running before he collapsed.
He had running been before he collapsed.
Before he collapsed he running had been.
He been had running before he collapsed.
Explanation: 'He had been running before he collapsed.' is correct.
Question 8 of 8
Choose the correct option: 'By next week, the workers ___ on the bridge for six months.'
will work
will have been working
have worked
had been working
Explanation: Duration projected to a future point → future perfect continuous.