Completed or continuing events
We use the present perfect simple with action verbs to emphasise the completion of an event in the recent past. We use the presentperfect continuous to talk about ongoing events or activities which started at a time in the past and are still continuing up until now.
| Completed event. |
| Ongoing activity: I’m still writing it. |
| Suggests that I’m not thinking about it any more. |
| Focuses on the action of thinking over a period of time up to now. |
Sometimes we can use either form and the meaning is the same:
I’velivedhere for 20 years.
I’vebeen livinghere for 20 years.
The present perfect continuous form is not normally used with verbs that refer to actions that are completed at a single point in time such asstart, stop, finish:
Hasthe concertstartedalready?
Not:Has the concert been starting already?
Mental process and sense verbs
Some verbs are not used very often in the continuous form.
We don’t use the continuous form with verbs of mental process (know, like, understand, believe):
Theyhaven’t knowneach other for very long.
Not:They haven’t been knowing each other for very long.
We don’t use the continuous form with verbs of the senses (hear, smell, taste):
Haveyouheardthe news?
Not:Have you been hearing the news?
In speaking you will sometimes hear these verbs used in the continuous form to refer to events that are ongoing or temporary:
I’vebeenhearingsome strange noises coming from outside.