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.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
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.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
Hello,
In this question why is "have done" incorrect?
7. You've got white dust all over you! What have you ___?
been doing
done
I see the result the she has got white dust so why can not i use present perfect?
Hello again Nigar Maharramova,
As with your earlier question, both forms are possible grammatically so the question is which is more likely. The simple form here would refer to the result of a completed action, especially one which went wrong:
However, when we talk about a by-product of the action the continuous form is more likely:
These are nuances which do not really fit a black-and-white rule so they can be frustrating. However, we include examples like this deliberately because language is nuanced and based on conventions as well as grammatical rules. We think it's important for learners to assimilate language as it is really used, even if that means some examples are a little ambiguous.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello,
Some fridges or stoves might look new and shiny, but usually there isn't any way to tell if the company has sold you an item that somebody has already bought, tested, and returned because it wouldn't work.
Does the part in bold sound natural to you? Is the choice of the tenses correct?
Thank you
Hello Tony,
Yes, that sounds fine. Past simple would be possible as well as present perfect (has already bought) in the last clause.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Thank you very much, Peter.
Hello sir, I wanna ask you about one question.This is Task 2 for question no.3.
Q. I'm worried about Sam. She's ___ too hard recently.
been working
worked
In this question , 'recently' means present prefect simple .Why did the answer is 'been working'.
Wating for your response
Thank you.
Hello Aye Thiri,
'Recently' means 'in the recent past' and is often used when a situation continues from the past up to the present. For this use we use the present perfect, especially the present perfect continuous:
I've been spending a lot of time online recently. I should cut down.
Your sentence is a good example of this.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Dear Peter and the Learn English Team,
There is a controversial about this below question. Could you all let me know your thoughts please? Which one would you choose? Many thanks
They ……. about 10 kilometers around their neighbourhood recently.
A. have run B. have been running C. were running D. run
Hello rosetrang,
The phrase 'about 10 kilometres' suggests a result rather than a process, so the simple form is likely. Since we are talking about the recent past with a present result I think answer A (have run) is the most likely.
It is possible to think of contexts in which answers B and C would be possible. For example, the 'about 10 kilometres' measure could be a distance that is repeated rather than a summary of a total achievement: They started by running 2 kilometres but they have been running 10 kilometres .... recently. Similarly, if the running changed in distance but the runners have now stopped running for some reason, then were running might be possible. However, there is nothing in the sentence as given which would suggest either of these answers; you need to invent an outside justification to make them work.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello my teacher Jonathan! As I learnt, present perfect simple and present perfect continuous used to talk about the result and the continuation of the action. So, what is the difference between present perfect simple and present perfect continuous when talking about the result and the continuation of the action. For example:
I have listened to music for one hour. (Still listening)
I have been listening to music for one hour. (Still listening)
Another example:
I have cleaned the room. (Finished, it’s clean now)
I have been cleaning the room. (Finished, it’s clean now)
I have learned that using (for and since) with present perfect and present perfect continuous indicates that the action still continues in present. So, several questions in my mind:
0: Is (for and since) used to indicate the continuation of the action? Or it’s ok to use them to indicate a finished action? And there are other expressions to help understand the meaning of the sequence?
1: can I use the two tenses to talk about the result and the continuation of the action?
2: how can I recognize if the action finished or still continues in present?
3: can I use the tenses to indicate intermittent actions.
For example: I have read this book for one week.
I have been reading this book for one week.
I am confused about these tenses. I will be grateful for you.