Present perfect simple and present perfect continuous

• We use the present perfect simple with past finished actions or experiences when we don’t mention or we don’t know when they happened.

COMPARE:

I've been to Paris few times. (Present Perfect Simple)

I was in Paris 4 years ago. (Past Simple)

• And we also use the present perfect simple to ask or talk about situations that started in the past and have not finished.

I've had English lessons since May.

• We use the present perfect simple to focus on the result of an action, and we use the present perfect continuous to focus on the doing of the action itself.

I've been practising this piece for weeks, but still haven't learned it.

• We use the present perfect simple to talk about how much or how many. When we focus on how long something has taken, we use the present perfect continuous.

I've done three tests this term.

We've seen that show three times.

I've been working on this project for a month now. I need to finish it by the end of the week.

• We use the present perfect simple to talk about how many times.

• But we use the present perfect continuous for repeated actions when we don't say specifically how many times they have happened. We often use phrases such as all day and recently in these sentences.

I've been trying to contact him all morning.

I've tried to call him 10 times this morning.

• We usually use the present perfect simple, not the present perfect continuous, to talk about states rather than actions with state verbs such as: be, have, know, seem, think, love, believe...

We've known each other since university.

❌NOT We've been knowing each other

She's had that laptop for over ten years!

❌NOT She's been having that laptop for over ten years!

We use the present perfect continuous with action verbs (dynamic verbs) to talk about situations that started in the past and have not finished or have just finished.

• Have you been crying?

• Sorry I am so dirty, but I‘ve been painting.

There is often a present result from doing these actions.

• You‘ve been crying. (Your eyes are red.)

• I am dirty because I‘ve been painting.

We can use the present perfect continuous to talk about continuous or repeated actions or situations from the past till now.

• She‘s been calling you for days. (=She has repeated this action for several days.)

• I‘ve been studying since you left. (=I have done this action continuously without stopping.)

Past perfect simple and past perfect continuous

• We use the past perfect simple to describe completed events that happened before another event in the past, often with time expressions, such as: by the time, when, before, after and until.

She had already learned how to read and write by the time she started school.

We use the past perfect continuous:

• to describe ongoing activities leading up to a past event.

They had been walking for hours when they saw the house in the distance.

• to give background information about an event.

She was concerned because he hadn't been sleeping well recently.