ESLSongs

Practice the present perfect continuous with this song, A Way Back into Love by Hugh Grant and Haley Bennett. This song is from the movie “Music and Lyrics”.

These song lyrics include 7 examples of the present perfect continuous: I’ve been living / sleeping / hiding / setting aside / watching / searching & looking for, and one present perfect simple: I’ve been lonely

There is a suggestion on how to use this song in your ESL classes below, but for more ideas, click here.

Lyrics

I’ve been living with a shadow overhead
I’ve been sleeping with a cloud above my bed
I’ve been lonely for so long
Trapped in the past, I just can’t seem to move on

I’ve been hiding all my hopes and dreams away
Just in case I ever need them again someday
I’ve been setting aside time
To clear a little space in the corners of my mind

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can’t make it through without a way back into love
Oh oh oh

I’ve been watching but the stars refuse to shine
I’ve been searching but I just don’t see the signs
I know that it’s out there
There’s got to be something for my soul somewhere

I’ve been looking for someone to shed some light
Not somebody just to get me through the night
I could use some direction
And I’m open to your suggestions

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can’t make it through without a way back into love
And if I open my heart again
I guess I’m hoping you’ll be there for me in the end
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

There are moments when I don’t know if it’s real
Or if anybody feels the way I feel
I need inspiration
Not just another negotiation

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can’t make it through without a way back into love
And if I open my heart to you
I’m hoping you’ll show me what to do
And if you help me to start again
You know that I’ll be there for you in the end

Oh, oh, oh

Suggested activity: fill the gaps & correct the mistakes

Download this exercise (PDF)

Try to put the verbs in brackets into the correct form, the present perfect simple of the present perfect continuous. Also, correct the mistakes in the chorus (in bold), then listen to the song to check.

I ¹____________________ (live) with a shadow overhead
I ²____________________ (sleep) with a cloud above my bed
I ³____________________ (be) lonely for so long
Trapped in the past, I just can’t seem to move on

I ⁴____________________ (hide) all my hopes and dreams away
Just in case I ever need them again someday
I ⁵____________________ (set) aside time
To clear a little space in the corners of my mind

Chorus
All I need to do is discover a route up into heaven
I can’t see it through without a route up into heaven

I ⁶____________________ (watch) but the stars refuse to shine
I ⁷____________________ (search) but I just don’t see the signs
I know that it’s out there
There’s got to be something for my soul somewhere

I ⁸____________________ (look) for someone to shed some light
Not somebody just to get me through the night
I could use some direction
And I’m open to your suggestions

Chorus

And if I open my heart again
I guess I’m hoping you’ll be there for me in the end

There are moments when I don’t know if it’s real
Or if anybody feels the way I feel
I need inspiration, not just another negotiation

Chorus

And if I open my heart to you
I’m hoping you’ll show me what to do
And if you help me to start again
You know that I’ll be there for you in the end

Music and Lyrics

Music and Lyrics is a 2007 American musical romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Marc Lawrence. It focuses on the relationship that evolves between a former pop music idol and an aspiring writer as they struggle to compose a song for a reigning pop diva.