How Long Quiz

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Practice constructing present perfect statements using the time markers 'for' (duration) and 'since' (point in time).

Use it when: Use during English language learning sessions when reviewing duration versus starting points in present perfect structures.

Skip it when: Skip if the group has not yet been introduced to past participles or the distinction between duration and starting points.

Group arrangement: Pairs or trios

Timing: Source recommends 15 to 30 minutes; standard 15-minute UWT classroom run sheet with 6 questions.

Materials and tools

• Blank paper (one sheet per team)
• One pen or pencil per team
• A display board, projector, or printed question cards
• Prepared list of 6 'How long...' trivia questions and facilitator answer key

Before participants arrive

1. Write the grammatical frame and example on the board: 'Frame: It has [past participle]... for [duration]' or 'It has [past participle]... since [starting point]'. Example: 'How long has the Eiffel Tower existed? (use since) -> It has existed since 1889.'
2. Have the 6 trivia prompts ready to display or read aloud, keeping the answer key private until scoring.

Say this to open

Welcome. Today we will test our trivia knowledge and our time phrases in teams. I will display a question asking how long something has been true. With each prompt, I will specify whether your sentence must use 'for' to show a duration, or 'since' to show a starting point. Write your best estimate as a complete sentence.

How to run it

1. Form teams and review grammar rules 3 minutes

   Divide participants into pairs or trios. Distribute one blank sheet of paper and a pen to each team. Review the board example: 'How long has the Eiffel Tower existed? (use since) -> It has existed since 1889.' Clarify that 'for' requires an amount of time (such as 10 years), while 'since' requires a specific starting date, year, or event.

2. Run the trivia rounds 7 minutes

   Present the 6 trivia prompts one at a time. Give teams 60 seconds per prompt. Teams discuss quietly and write down their complete sentence answer, following the required marker ('for' or 'since'). Stop the round after question 6.

3. Swap sheets and score 3 minutes

   Have teams swap answer sheets with a neighboring team. Read out the factual answers and the correct sentence structures. Teams award one point for accurate grammar (correct present perfect with 'for' or 'since') and one point for the closest factual estimate.

4. Debrief language patterns 2 minutes

   Collect total scores. Invite two volunteers to explain how they decided between a duration phrase and a specific time phrase during discussions.

Debrief questions

• Which questions felt easier: estimating a duration with 'for', or identifying a starting point with 'since'?
• What clues in the grammar helped you form the verb phrases correctly?

Finished output: Completed written team quiz sheets showing present perfect sentences using 'for' and 'since'.

Remote

Display questions on shared slides. Teams discuss in private breakout rooms or message each other via private chat, submitting written sentences into an online form or shared collaborative document before answers are shown.

Hybrid

Pair in-person learners with in-person partners and remote learners with remote partners in breakout rooms. Post prompts in the main video chat and on the physical screen simultaneously.

Access and participation choices

• Provide a written reference card with time marker patterns ('for 10 years' vs 'since 2014') on tables.
• Participants may choose whether to act as the team writer, the reader, or the timekeeper.
• Teams can pass on guessing factual numbers without penalty for the grammar portion.

If the session gets stuck

Participants use simple past instead of present perfect (for example, 'It was open since...').

Pause briefly after question 1 to reinforce the pattern: 'It has been open since...' or 'It has existed for...' on the display board.

Groups debate trivia facts too long and do not finish writing the sentence.

Enforce a strict 60-second limit per question and remind teams that grammar points are awarded even if the estimated date is slightly off.

Terms used here

• Present Perfect Simple: A verb form combining have/has and a past participle, used here for actions that started in the past and continue into the present.
• Duration: The length of time an event continues (for example, three centuries, twenty years).