Present perfect about for the past year

Question

I confuse about the following for the past year. would you mind teaching me which one is correct?

1)
A: What have you been doing for fun lately?
B:Not much. I have been working really hard for the past year. In fact, I havn`t taken a vacation in over a year now.

2)
A: What have you done for fun lately?
B:Not much. I worked really hard for the past year. In fact, I havn`t taken a vacation in over a year now.

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

I confuse about the following for the past year. would you mind teaching me which one is correct?

1)

A: What have you been doing for fun lately?

B:Not much. I have been working really hard for the past year. In fact, I havn`t taken a vacation in over a year now.

This is all fine and natural.

The Present Perfect Continuous focuses on continuous or repeated activity during the recent period, activity that filled a large part of the period.

2)

A: What have you done for fun lately?

B:Not much. I worked really hard for the past year. In fact, I havn`t taken a vacation in over a year now.

This is also fine and natural.

The Present Perfect here does not have the focus that I described above. eg It does not suggest a particularinterest in activities that have filled up the period.

The Simple Past here would be better replaced by the Present Perfect. However, it's not unusual to mingle the tenses like this, particularly once the initial Present Perfect establishes clearly that the conversation is about the present situation. eg

A: Do you need help? What have you done?

B: I broke my leg. / I have broken my leg.

Post again if you need more help.

Clive

Present perfect about for the past year

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