Present perfect: action (or incident?) stopped or continuing?

Question

Please help me with this.1. He has worked for our company for the past two years. -- To me, this doesn't say whether he has stopped working there. He could as well be working there.2. He has helped a lot of people for the past two years. -- To me, this says he has helped a lot of people in the past and might as well be continuing to help people. This doesn't indicate whether he stopped doing it or not. 3. He has received a commendation for this unselfish service to the community for the past two years. -- To me, this states he got his commendation. When one sees a present perfect tense in a sentence. how could that person a distinction whether an action (or an incident?) denoted there has stopped or continuing?

Fandorin · Accepted Answer

AnonymousPlease help me with this.

1. He has worked for our company for the past two years. -- To me, this doesn't say whether he has stopped working there. He could as well be working there.

No, he doesnt work here now. Present Perfect is used to link past events to the future in any way. We don't know when exactly he finished working, but he did it and it's somehow connected with a situation now (may be he is being discussed about his past achievments).

He has been working for our company for two years. Here, although, we don't know whether he has stopped working or goes on working. We just emphasize duration of his job.

Anonymous. He has helped a lot of people for the past two years. -- To me, this says he has helped a lot of people in the past and might as well be continuing to help people. This doesn't indicate whether he stopped doing it or not.

Yes, it doesn't indicate. He might keep on helping or might not. It lacks context.

Anonymous3. He has received a commendation for this unselfish service to the community ~~for the past two years~~. -- To me, this states he got his commendation.

To tell the truth, the crossed seems odd to me. It's the fact that he got a commendation and now it's obvious, important, current e.t.c.

AnonymousWhen one sees a present perfect tense in a sentence. How could that person a distinct~~ion~~ whether an action (or an incident?) denoted there has stopped or continuing?

Context often reveals everything.

He wrote beautiful novels. (Hi did but now he is probably gone)
He has written a new novel. (He did it and now it's connected with a current state we describe).

It might help.Please, feel free to give us another examples and ask any questions which confuse you.

F.

Present perfect: action (or incident?) stopped or continuing?

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