Difference: Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous

The difference between the present perfect and the present perfect continuous can cause
confusion for many learners of English.

Firstly of course, the grammatical form varies:

Present Perfect: Has/Have + Past Participle

e.g. He has passed his driving test

Present Perfect Continuous: Has/Have + Been + Present Participle

e.g. She has been reading a book

The broad rule is that although both tenses relate to the fact that something is being referred
to in the past, the present perfect refers to something that has finished, but the present
perfect continuous refers to something that is continuing in the present.

However, although this is sometimes the case, there are more variations.

On this page we'll highlight some of the main ways in which you would choose one over the
other.

Choosing Either

In some cases we can choose either of the tenses. This is usually the case when we are
referring to biographical type facts about someone's life, often with the words for and since or
some other time frame.

For example:

• He's eaten red meat his whole life

• He's been eating red meat his whole life

• He's worked for the company since he was a teenager

• He's been working for the company since he was a teenager

• I've lived here for three years

• I've been living here for three years

• They've studied English since high school

• They've been studying English since high school

Short Term or Long Term Action

These facts in the examples above tend to be long-term. However, we tend to use the present
perfect continuous to emphasise the fact that an event or activity has been happening over a
period of time that is relatively short-term.

Compare the long-term, which could be either present perfect or present perfect continuous:
 • I've played tennis most of my life (long-term)

• I've been playing tennis most of my life (long-term)

However, if we want show the fact that we've actually been playing (we could have just
stopped or still be playing), then we use the continuous:

• I've been playing tennis for two hours (short-term)

Continuing or Completed Action

Another difference between the present perfect and the present perfect continuous is when
we want to show whether something is completed or not. The continuous tense shows that it
is not completed.

Compare these:

• He's read the book about JFK (the book is finished)

• He's been reading the book about JFK (the book's still being read)

• She's taken the medicine (referring to one completed action)

• She's been taking the medicine (referring to medicine that is being taken over a period
of time)

Repeated or Single Action

This is similar to the previous one, but it shows the continuous form can be used to show that
something is repeated:

• Your wife has phoned you (may have been only once)

• Your wife has been phoning you - (she has rung several or many times)

• I've gone to the local swimming pool (could just be once)

• I've been going the local swimming pool (indicates going there on several or
many occasions)

State Verbs

State verbs are those that represent a state of mind, such as thinking, knowing, wanting,
seeing etc.

Though there are some we can use in the present perfect continuous tenses, generally most
are cannot be used in the continuous tense and so they are only used with the present perfect:

For instance, we don't say this:

• She's been knowing him for 3 days

• He's been seeing the car go past every day

We would say:

• She's known him for 3 days

• He's seen the car go past every day

 Form

Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Progressive

irregular verbs: form of 'have' + 3rd form of 'have' + been + verb + ing
column of irregular verbs

Example: Example:

I / you / we / they have spoken I / you / we / they have been speaking

he / she / it has spoken he / she / it has been speaking

regular verbs: form of 'have' + infinitive +

ed

Example:

I / you / we / they have worked

he / she / it has worked

Exceptions

Exceptions when adding 'ed' : Exceptions when adding 'ing' :

▪ when the final letter is e, only add d ▪ silent e is dropped. (but: does not apply for -ee)

Example: Example: come - coming

aber: agree - agreeing
love - loved
▪ after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is
▪ after a short, stressed vowel, the final
doubled
consonant is doubled
Example: sit - sitting
Example:
▪ after a vowel, the final consonant l is doubled in
admit - admitted
British English (but not in American English).
▪ final l is always doubled in British English
Example: travel - travelling
(not in American English)
▪ final ie becomes y.
Example:
Example: lie - lying
travel - travelled

▪ after a consonant, final y becomes i (but:

not after a vowel)

Example:

worry - worried

but: play - played

 Use

Both tenses are used to express that an action began in the past and is still going on or
has just finished. In many cases, both forms are correct, but there is often a difference
in meaning: We use the Present Perfect Simple mainly to express that an action is
completed or to emphasise the result. We use the Present Perfect Progressive to
emphasise the duration or continuous course of an action.

Result or duration?

Do you want to express what has happened so far or how long an action has been
going on yet?

Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Progressive

Result (what / how much / how often) Duration (how long)

I have written 5 letters. / I have been to London I have been writing for an hour.
twice.

Certain verbs

The following verbs are usually only used in Present Perfect Simple (not in the
progressive form).

▪ state: be, have (for possession only)

Example: We have been on holiday for two weeks.

▪ senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, touch

Example: He has touched the painting.

▪ brain work: believe, know, think, understand

Example: I have known him for 3 years.

Emphasis on completion or duration?

Do you want to emphasise the completion of an action or its continuous course (how
has somebody spent his time)?

Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Progressive

Emphasis on completion Emphasis on duration

I have done my I have been doing my homework. (Meaning: That's how

homework. (Meaning: My I have spent my time. It does not matter whether the
homework is completed now.) homework is completed now.)
 Result or side effect?

Do you want to express that a completed action led to a desired result or that the
action had an unwanted side effect?

Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Progressive

desired result unwanted side effect

I have washed the Why are you so wet? - I have been washing the car. (side effect: I
car. (Result: The car is became wet when I was washing the car. It does not matter
clean now.) whether the car is clean now.)

Time + negation: last time or beginning of an action?

In negative sentences: Do you want to express how much time has past since the last
time the action took place or since the beginning of the action?

Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Progressive

since the last time since the beginning

I haven't played that game for I haven't been playing that game for an hour, only for
years. (Meaning: It's years ago that I 10 minutes. (Meaning: It's not even an hour ago that I
last played that game.) started to play that game.)

Permanent or temporary?

If an action is still going on and we want to express that it is a permanent situation, we

would usually use the Present Perfect Simple. For temporary situations, we would
prefer the Present Perfect Progressive. This is not a rule, however, only a tendency.

Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Progressive

permanent temporary

James has lived in this town for 10 James has been living here for a year. (Meaning: This
years. (Meaning: He is a permanent situation is only temporary. Maybe he is an exchange
resident of this town.) student and only here for one or two years.)

Signal words

Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Progressive

▪ how often ▪ how long

▪ ... times ▪ since

▪ for