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Anonymous Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous ?
Someone has been watching TV for three hours and he is still watching it.
I understand that I should say,
He has been watching TV for three hours
But is it correct to describe this situation by saying,
He has watched TV for three hours
Thanks in advance.
I understand that I should say,
He has been watching TV for three hours
But is it correct to describe this situation by saying,
He has watched TV for three hours
Thanks in advance.
Top answer
Hi! (A Practical English Grammar - Thomson, Marinet): An action which began in the past and is still continuing or has only just finished can, with certain verbs, be expressed by either the present perfect simple or the present perfect continuous. Verbs which can be used in this way include: expect, hope, learn, lie, live, look, rain, sleep, sit, snow, stand, stay, study, teach, wait, want, work.
- Hi!
- (A Practical English Grammar - Thomson, Marinet): An action which began in the past and is still continuing or has only just finished can, with certain verbs, be expressed by either the present perfect simple or the present perfect continuous.
- Verbs which can be used in this way include: expect, hope, learn, lie, live, look, rain, sleep, sit, snow, stand, stay, study, teach, wait, want, work.
- But I think that when we use watch as a voluntary action (not as a verb of the sense) we can use both tenses for a still continuing action but I'm not sure because I'm not a native speaker.
- To use the Present Perfect Continuous is better...
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4 Answers
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Hi!
(A Practical English Grammar - Thomson, Marinet): An action which began in the past and is still continuing or has only just finished can, with certain verbs, be expressed by either the present perfect simple or the present perfect continuous. Verbs which can be used in this way include: expect, hope, learn, lie, live, look, rain, sleep, sit, snow, stand,
(A Practical English Grammar - Thomson, Marinet): An action which began in the past and is still continuing or has only just finished can, with certain verbs, be expressed by either the present perfect simple or the present perfect continuous. Verbs which can be used in this way include: expect, hope, learn, lie, live, look, rain, sleep, sit, snow, stand,
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It is acceptable, but not as precise as the alternative "has been watching".
But is it correct to describe this situation by saying,
<>He has watched TV for three hours
"has watched for three hours" can mean "on another occasion" or "on other occasions", because "has watched TV" can mean "has had a TV-watching experience" (which "has been watching
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Thank you dear Petulinka and thank you dear CalifJim for this wonderful explanation.
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