Look at these examples to see how the present perfect simple and continuous are used.
We've painted the bathroom.
She's been training for a half-marathon.
I've had three coffees already today!
They've been waiting for hours.
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Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
We use both the present perfect simple (have or has + past participle) and the present perfect continuous (have or has + been + -ing form) to talk about past actions or states which are still connected to the present.
Focusing on result or activity
The present perfect simple usually focuses on the result of the activity in some way, and the present perfect continuous usually focuses on the activity itself in some way.
| Present perfect simple | Present perfect continuous |
| Focuses on the result | Focuses on the activity |
| You've cleaned the bathroom! It looks lovely! | I've been gardening. It's so nice out there. |
| Says 'how many' | Says 'how long' |
| She's read ten books this summer. | She's been reading that book all day. |
| Describes a completed action | Describes an activity which may continue |
| I've written you an email. | I've been writing emails. |
| When we can see evidence of recent activity | |
| The grass looks wet. Has it been raining? I know, I'm really red. I've been running! |
Ongoing states and actions
We often use for, since and how long with the present perfect simple to talk about ongoing states.
How long have you known each other?
We've known each other since we were at school.
We often use for, since and how long with the present perfect continuous to talk about ongoing single or repeated actions.
How long have they been playing tennis?
They've been playing tennis for an hour.
They've been playing tennis every Sunday for years.
Sometimes the present perfect continuous can emphasise that a situation is temporary.
I usually go to the gym on the High Street, but it's closed for repairs at the moment so I've been going to the one in the shopping centre.
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Hello DaniWeebKage,
I'd encourage you to ask your teacher about that. There is probably some context (that I can't think of right now) in which present perfect simple would make sense there, but in general I think the continuous form is best.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello DaniWeebKage,
It is possible to use the present simple tense to tell a story about the past -- if you follow the link and look at the 'Advanced' section on the page, you'll see some examples of this. I'm not sure if that's what you meant with your sentences about Jonas.
This use of the present simple is a little unusual -- people would normally use the past simple in these sentences (assuming that Jonas is now older): 'Jonas didn't write until he was 18'.
Hope this helps.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Khaled hasan,
Generally, the present perfect continuous is used in a context like this, but the present perfect simple is possible too. It really depends on what the speaker wants to emphasise and upon the broader context in which the sentence is used.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Khaled hasan,
Yes, your sentences are tricky!
In sentence 1, I'd say he's been staying (present perfect continuous). The continuous tense emphasises the duration of the activity (for too long).
In sentence 2, I'd say has been using (present perfect continuous). Again, this emphasises that the activity went on a long time, and somebody didn't just use the phone for a moment. That fits the situation, since the battery is nearly dead.
But, I would also say that in real life usage, different answers are acceptable. For example, in sentence 1 we could say he's stayed (present perfect simple) if we want to give a sense that the situation (staying with friends) has reached a point where it must end and cannot continue. We might emphasise different things in different contexts of speaking.
Best wishes,
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Malika_Meg,
Good question! I'll try to explain.
If we say Has someone eaten my bread?, it suggests that the person has eaten all the bread (present perfect simple describing a completed action).
Instead, Has someone been eating my bread? is the better option. We can see the little bit of bread left as evidence of the recent activity.
Does that make sense?
Best wishes,
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team