Welcome to the lesson on The Present
Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous. In this lesson we will
discuss the similarities and differences between the present perfect
with the present perfect continuous tense. For example, when you meet somebody new, you often talk about yourself and
your life. For example, my family has been
living in California for 10 years. I've been working in
an engineering firm for 5 years. My son has been studying
medicine at university. My daughter has been studying law. All of these sentences use
the present perfect continuous. Some textbooks call the present
continuous text progressive, but it means the same thing. Let's look at a couple of more
examples of the present perfect and present perfect continuous tense. I have studied English for 5 years. I have been studying English for 5 years. So, what is the difference? Before we talk about the differences,
let's talk about the similarities. First, each starts in the past and
has some importance in the present time. Second, each uses for and since. Third, each uses habitual actions
with verbs like work, live, study, play, wear glasses and
other similar verbs. First, each starts in the past and
has some importance in the present time. For example, He has wanted to go to
New York since he was 10 years old. They have studied engineering for 3 years. The water has been boiling for 10 minutes. I have been studying for
this test since 7:00 this morning. Next, each uses for and since. He has wanted to go to New York
since he was 10 years old. They have studied engineering for 3 years. The water has been boiling for 10 minutes. I have been studying for
this test since 7:00 this morning. Next, each uses habitual actions with
verbs like work, live, study, play, wear glasses and other similar verbs. With habitual action, there is no
difference in meaning between the present perfect and
present perfect continuous tenses. For example, He has lived in
California for five years, and, He has been living in California for
5 years, have the same meaning. They have studied engineering for 3 years, They have been studying engineering for
3 years, have the same meaning. Now let's look at the differences
between present perfect and present perfect continuous. For present perfect, first, the emphasis
is on the result of an action. Meaning, the action is completed. Second, it's used with non-action verbs
that can't use the continuous ing ending. Third, it's often used with "ever" and
"never", and it's used with "how often" questions. Present perfect continuous
is used to put the emphasis on the ongoing action meaning. It's not completed yet. Second, it's used with
"how long" questions. Next, the emphasis is on
the duration of time for an action whether it's finished or
unfinished. Lastly, when the action is finished but
you can still see the results, we use present perfect continuance. Let's look at the two differences
between the present perfect and present perfect continuous tenses. First, present perfect emphasizes
the result of an action, the completion of the action. For example,
I have worked on my homework for 2 hours, means, I have finished my homework
after working for 2 hours. With present perfect continuous tense
the emphasis is on the ongoing action. So the example, I have been working
on my homework for 2 hours, means, I have not finished it yet. I'm still working on my
homework after 2 hours. Second, present perfect is
used with non-action verbs. Non-action verbs are verbs that describe
states, senses or mental activities. For example, have, be, feel, hear, smell, taste, believe,
think, know, understand. These verbs cannot use ing at the end. For example, I have had 10 cellphones. I have been a lawyer for 2 years. I have heard this story before. You haven't tasted this before. We have thought about it before. She has known them for years. The present perfect is also
used with "ever" and "never". For example,
Have you ever visited Las Vegas? No, I have never visited Las Vegas. Has he ever failed a class? No, he has never failed a class. The present perfect is also used
with "how often" questions. For example,
How often have you been to San Francisco? I have been there 6 times. How often has she called you? She has called many times. Present perfect continuous tense
is used with "how long" questions. For example,
How long have you been living here? How long has he been studying medicine? How long have they been dating? Also, present perfect continuous tense is
used to show emphasis on duration of time, whether the action is finished or
unfinished. For example, in the questions,
how long, the answers, I have been living here for 10 years,
puts the emphasis on the, for 10 years. He has been studying medicine since 2005. The emphasis is on, since 2005. They have been dating since March,
emphasis is on, since March. Lastly, present perfect continuous is
used when the action is finished but you can still see the results. For example, you are soaking wet. I have been walking in the rain
because I forgot my umbrella. You are soaking wet, means,
I can still see the results of the action, even though you're not
currently walking in the rain. You look angry. Have you been fighting
with your boyfriend again? Because you look angry, I can see the results of your action
of fighting with your boyfriend. In this lesson,
we discussed the similarities and differences between the present perfect
with the present perfect continuous tense.
