Present Perfect/Present

Perfect Continuous
 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. 
Focuses on the result Focuses on the activity

You've cleaned the bathroom! It I've been gardening. It's so nice out
looks lovely! there.

Says 'how many' Says 'how long'

She's read ten books this summer. She's been reading that book all day.

Describes an activity which may

Describes a completed action
continue

I've written you an email.  I've been writing emails.

To describe changes, comparing

past and present. When we can see evidence of recent
Our climate has become much activity
warmer.

The grass looks wet. Has it been

raining?
 
I know, I'm really red. I've been
 just, recently- Someone has just broken a window;
Scientists have recently found more than 30
unknown insects.
 Ever?, never; Have you ever flown in a helicopter?
I've never travelled by pIane.
 already (sooner than expected); I've already finished
my homework. It was easy!
 yet? (we expect something to happen soon); Have
you finished yet?
 not ... yet (for things which have not happened so
far); Peter hasn't phoned yet. I'm still waiting.
 for and since
We use for with a length of time. She's worked
here for ten years.
We use since with a point of time to describe
when the period of time began. They've lived
here since 2001.
 For some (not all) verbs, the idea of how long
can be expressed by either tense — the present
perfect progressive or the present perfect.
 Either tense can be used only when the verb

expresses the duration of present activities or

situations that happen regularly, usually,
habitually: e.g., live, work, teach, study, wear
glasses, play chess, etc.
e) How long have you been living here?
f) How long have you lived here?
g) Ali has been wearing glasses since he was ten.
h) Ali has worn glasses since he was ten.
  When the tense is used without any mention
of time, it expresses a general activity in
progress recently, lately. For example, (i)
means I’ve been thinking about this recently,
lately.
i) I’ve been thinking about looking for a
different job. This one doesn’t pay enough.
ii) All of the students have been studying hard.
Final exams start next week.