Bob has been sleeping two hours after Helen called him.

Consider this: After Helen called, Bob had slept for two hours.
This is a situtation that calls for past perfect.

Do you mean sentence q is incorrect?

northwindWhich does the following sentence, q, mean, m1 or m2?

q: Bob has been sleeping two hours after Helen called him.

m1: Bob has been sleeping two hours, after Helen called him.

m2: Bob has been sleeping, two hours after Helen called him.

The original sentence is wrong, so it doesn't mean m1 or m2. I'm afraid it jus

Hi. Do you find this incorrect? I think the tense is present perfect continuous.

(Borrowing northwind's sentence)

Bod has been sleeping for two hours when Helen called him.

Also, do you find it wrong to use the phrase "long ago" or "a long time ago" with present perfect?

He has finished his homework long ago/a long time ago.

I am sorry to ask you

Suppose Helen called Bob at 10:00 a.m. and Bob slept from 10:00 to 12:00 a.m. and it is 12:00 a.m. now. The speaker is telling sentence q now, at 12:00 a.m.

Even in the situation above, is sentnece q incorrect?

AnonymousDo you find this incorrect? I think the tense is present perfect continuous.

(Borrowing northwind's sentence)

Bod has been sleeping for two hours when Helen called him.

Yes, I find it incorrect. (Yes, it's the present perfect continuous.)

AnonymousAlso, do you find it wrong to use the phrase "long ago" o

Anonymous(Borrowing northwind's sentence)

Bod has been sleeping for two hours when Helen called him.

Anon,
This is also incorrect. "When Helen called him" is a time in the past. So you can't use present perfect tense. Also, according to your borrowed sentence, the sleeping happened two

dimsumexpressConsider this: After Helen called, Bob had slept for two hours.

Hi Dimsum,

Didn't you mean something else here? I mean Past Perfect usually appears in the 'after' clause as it tells you what happened earlier.

Michal

Sorry, but please let me post my question again.

Suppose Helen called Bob at 10:00 a.m., April 1 and Bob slept from 10:00 to 12:00 a.m. and it is 12:00 a.m. now. The speaker is telling sentence q now, at 12:00 a.m., April 1.
Even in the situation above, is sentnece q incorrect?

q: Bob has been sleeping two hours after Helen called him.

Hi,

please let me post my question again.

Suppose Helen called Bob at 10:00 a.m., April 1 and Bob slept from 10:00 to 12:00 a.m. and it is 12:00 a.m. now. The speaker is telling sentence q now, at 12:00 a.m., April 1.
Even in the situation above, is sentnece q incorrect?

q: Bob has been sleeping two hours after Helen called him.

Yes, it's incorrect.