Persent perfect -continuous

Question

Hello,We use the  present perfect  for the events completed or just completed  in the past and  the events have some effect in the present .1. I have cleaned the windows. ( Now they are clean.)The present perfect continuous tense is used to refer to continuous events that started in the past and have just finished but have a result in or an effect on the present moment.2. You have been crying. (Your eyes are red.)Is it possible to recast #2 in the present perfect?2A. You have cried.Are #2 and #2A  the same?Thanks.

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

hanuman_2000Are #2 and #2A the same?

No. If the eyes are red, the crying has gone on for some time.
2A is not used for a just-ended crying episode.

eg.
I have cried only three times in my adult life; when my mother died, when my daughter got married, ...

Hanuman_2000 · Answer

Hello,

1. I have cleaned the windows.

The above sentence indicates that the cleaning work is completed but the time is indefinite. The effect of the completed action is also obtained in the present.

2. I have been cleaning the window.

The (2) is also suggesting the completed action.

What are the differences between (1) and (2)?

Thanks.

Anonymous · Answer

hanuman_2000Hello,1. I have cleaned the windows.The above sentence indicates that the cleaning work is completed but the time is indefinite. The effect of the completed action is also obtained in the present. 2. I have been cleaning the window.The (2) is also suggesting the completed action.What are the differences between (1) and (2)?Thanks.

Present perfect continuous talks about the action and present perfect talks about the results.

Sherpa.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

hanuman_20002. I have been cleaning the windows.

This suggests that there is more cleaning to be done, or that you were interrupted during the work.

hanuman_20001. I have cleaned the windows.

The work is done and finished.

CalifJim · Answer

Time > > > > >
X = the present moment; the moment you say the sentence

.... [ have cleaned the windows ] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >X
................................ ALL DONE! ^

.................................. [ have - - been - - cleaning - - the windows ]X
.................................. [ - - working - - working - - working - working ]

In the first example the focus is on the time point when the job was finished.
In the second example the focus is on the time period during which the job was being done.

In the first example, the windows are usually assumed to remain clean up until the time you say you have cleaned them.
In the second example, you might not have finished cleaning the windows yet. Maybe they're not completely clean yet.

CJ

AlpheccaStars · Answer

hanuman_20002. I have been cleaning the windows.

(Phone rings)
Joe: Hello, Kim. What are you doing? Can you go to lunch with me?
Kim: I have been cleaning the windows. I'm not finished, but I'm tired. I'd like to take a break and finish cleaning them this afternoon.

Hanuman_2000 · Answer

Hello,

The present perfect continuous tense is used to refer to continuous events that started in the past and have just finished but have a result in or an effect on the present moment. A time expression is not necessary. ( From my book)

1. I have been cleaning the window for three hours.

The above sentence suggests that the cleaning work has not finished because it has a time expression.(for three hours)

2. I have been cleaning the window.

Without a time expression, It suggests that the cleaning work has finished.

If this is the case then we can write the #2

3. I have just cleaned the window.

What are the differences between #2 and #3 in the context of completed work?

Could anyone suggest some examples of the present perfect continuous showing the completed work?

Thanks.

CalifJim · Answer

hanuman_20002. I have been cleaning the window.Without a time expression, It suggests that the cleaning work has finished.

I don't agree that there is any suggestion that the cleaning is finished. This is the same as 1 except that 2 doesn't tell us how long the speaker has been working on this task.

CJ

Hanuman_2000 · Answer

Sir,

The which I am referring says that we can use the present perfect tense for the completed action also.
e.g

1. You have been crying. ( your eyes are red)

The crying activity has stopped a while ago(she is not crying now) , but the speaker can guess it.

2. I have been working on computer all day. ( I am tired now)

I could guess that activity has stopped when the additional information is written in the brackets, but without that it would be difficult for me guess that the activity has stopped.

The #1 could suggest that she is still crying.

Could you please give some examples of the present perfect continuous tense that show the completed work?

CalifJim · Answer

hanuman_2000Could you please give some examples of the present perfect continuous tense that show the completed work?

I can't do that, because, as I already said, the present perfect continuous does not imply completed work.

hanuman_2000I could guess that activity has stopped when the additional information is written in the brackets, but without that it would be difficult for me guess that the activity has stopped.

Exactly. The material given in parentheses simply gives you an idea of the situation in which you might say that sentence. But that doesn't mean the action is finished. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't.

— Why are you so tired?
— I've been working on the computer all day.

CJ

Persent perfect -continuous

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