We _____ Dave and Julia for years. (know)
✅ have known ❌ have been knowing
- Know is a non-action verb. We use the present perfect simple with stative verbs (be, know, etc.) for situations that started in the past and still continue. We often use expressions like how long, for, since, lately, all day, etc.
John ____ very strangely these days. (behave)
✅ is behaving ❌ has behaved we use the present continuous to talk about temporary situations or actions in progress now.
Why ____ (drink) tea today? You ____ (never/drink) tea.
✅ are you drinking / never drink ❌ did you drink / have never drunk
- In the first gap, we use the present continuous to talk about a temporary action (NOT a habit), which is happening now or ‘around now’.
- In the second gap, we use the present simple to talk about a habit.
"Patrick! Hi! What are you doing in York?" "Hi! I ____ (just arrive)."
✅ have just arrived ❌ just arrived
- we use the present perfect to talk about recent events when we don’t say when they happened. (Common with already, yet, just, recently, today, this week, etc.)