Present perfect simple vs Present perfect continuous

Question

Hi teachers,

This might be a question which has been discussed many times in many threads. I'm talking about the difference between the 'present perfect simple' and the 'present perfect continuous' tenses. Though I understand the difference, but I still encounter cases in which it becomes a little difficult for me to choose between the two tenses.

1. How long have you been waiting for her?
2. How long have you waited for her?

Here's my understanding of the two sentences:

#1 would be said in a context where the person addressed is still waiting at the time the speaker utters the sentence, i.e., the action of waiting hasn't finished yet.

#2 could be said in a context where the person is still waiting at the time the speaker utters the sentence, the action of waiting hasn't finished yet, or it could be said in a context where the action of waiting has just finished, the person expected has just shown up.

Is my understanding correct, please?

Thank you.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

LaboriousThough I understand the difference, but I still encounter cases in which it becomes a little difficult for me to choose between the two tenses.

That's understandable, especially with certain verbs that are ambiguous as to whether they are more like states or more like activities. 'wait' is just such a verb. 'rest', 'live' and 'work' are others.

I find your interpretation #1 quite believable and accurate. Not so much #2.

In my opinion, it's best to think of these verbs as expressions of activity even though there's nothing very active about waiting or resting. Let's say that these verbs represent somewhat inactive activities, but that we can still call them activities. That means the continuous form of the present perfect is usually the more logical choice.
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The non-continuous form is "the problem child". It can come off as an experiential present perfect (I've traveled in China) with a repetitive component added (I've often traveled in China). In this formulation the multiple periods of activity all reached their end well before the sentence was even said, whether it's the traveling in China or the waiting for the bus.

I've often waited for 20 minutes for the bus to show up at this stop. I don't understand why they're always late.
On many occasions when I've called that store to complain, I've waited on hold for more than half an hour.

— I had to wait 10 minutes just to get my purchase gift wrapped.
— You're lucky. I've sometimes waited 25 minutes. They're very slow at that department store.

Here are similar examples I found online. Note that they don't always have an adverb that indicates repetition, but the meaning of the sentence suggests either multiple waiting periods or that the speaker believes that multiple incidents of the same kind are certainly possible.

I've waited as long as 10 minutes for a beer when I was standing at the bar.
I've waited five times that long on hold to make the same reservation by phone.
I've waited until late evening and watched badgers coming out to play.
I've waited for more than two hours on a plane for a flight to take off.
I've waited at the exit to see him leave, and follow him, and he doesn't seem to leave.
I've waited an hour and a half for a scheduled interview with a top Mexico City official, only to find out he wasn't going to make it at all.
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The non-continuous form is also used for long periods of time after which some goal was achieved. These have no repetitive component. I also found these online:

I've waited a long time for this.
I've waited almost half my life to see the final film.
I've waited six months to get this wheelchair.
I've waited 40 years to achieve my dream.

CJ

Note: The discussion above relates mostly to 'activity' verbs, particularly 'wait'. The differences between the continuous and non-continuous present perfect may require slightly different explanations for different types of verbs.

Laborious · Answer

CalifJimI've waited as long as 10 minutes for a beer when I was standing at the bar.I've waited five times that long on hold to make the same reservation by phone.I've waited until late evening and watched badgers coming out to play.I've waited for more than two hours on a plane for a flight to take off.I've waited at the exit to see him leave, and follow him, and he doesn't seem to leave.I've waited an hour and a half for a scheduled interview with a top Mexico City official, only to find out he wasn't going to make it at all.

Thanks teacher. Thank you very much for those helpful examples. I think those examples also contain the meaning of experiencing something in the past, or before now. The speaker is expressing that up to now, he/she has experienced waiting for something at least once or the number of times/occasions they've provided in the sentences. Am I wrong about it?
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Please take a look at these examples, CJ.

1. What have you been doing since morning?
~ I have been drinking coffee since morning.

2. What have you done since morning?
~ I have drunk coffee since morning.

3. How much coffee have you been drinking since morning?
~ I have been drinking 10 cups of coffee since morning.

4. How much coffee have you drunk since morning?
~ I have drunk 10 cups of coffee since morning.

Which pairs of the pairs of sentences given above do you think are natural? I think except for the third pair, all are natural. Unlike the present perfect simple, we can't use the present perfect continuous to say how much of something has been done or achieved so far. Also, do the sentences #1 and #2 convey the sense of repetition of the action of drinking coffee?

Thank you.

CalifJim · Answer

LaboriousI think those examples also contain the meaning of experiencing something in the past, or before now. The speaker is expressing that up to now, he/she has experienced waiting for something at least once or the number of times/occasions they've provided in the sentences. Am I wrong about it?

Correct. ("Expressing an experience" is what gives it the name "experiential" present perfect.)

You need 'since this morning' in all of the following. That makes it more idiomatic. Alternately, delete 'since morning' completely.

1. What have you been doing (since morning)?
~ I have been drinking coffee (since morning).

Fine. What activity have you been engaged in? Drinking coffee.
No repetition directly implied. This is expressed as a continuous activity.
Nevertheless, this would involve the repetition of refilling the cup, I suppose, but that's trivial.

2. What have you done (since morning)?
~ I have drunk coffee (since morning).

The subject matter rather than the tenses is what makes this unnatural.
What have you accomplished (today)? I've drunk some coffee.
Your boss is going to be disappointed in you.
No repetition implied except as noted above.

More realistic:

— What have you done today?
— I've recorded and summarized all the purchase orders for the week.
— Excellent work!

3. How much coffee have you been drinking (since morning)?
~ I have been drinking 10 cups of coffee (since morning).

Impossible. I've been drinking 10 cups of coffee sounds like you've been constantly drinking from a bucket that contains 10 cups (the measurement) of coffee—all day. It's too crazy. It doesn't work.

4. How much coffee have you drunk (since morning)?
~ I have drunk 10 cups of coffee (since morning).

Fine.

CJ

Laborious · Answer

Thank you, teacher. I don't know what to say more to express my gratitude to you. All I can say is 'thank you!'

.....

I've also read that when we talk about something which has just finished or completed, but there's still some sort of connection or relation of this finished thing to the present, to the moment of speaking, we can use either the non - continuous present perfect or the continuous present perfect. For example, the result or the consequence of this finished thing can still be sensed.

Here is an example of what I've said above:

Jane's mother goes out for shopping while Jane is alone in the house. After a while Jane's mother comes back home, and goes to Jane to see what she's doing. She goes to Jane's room, and as she opens the door, she says: It stinks in here! Have you been smoking?

My question is: Is the sentence 'Have you been smoking?' correct and natural in that situation? Could she, using the non - continuous present perfect, have said 'Have you smoked?' as well?

Thank you.

CalifJim · Answer

LaboriousMy question is: Is the sentence 'Have you been smoking?' correct and natural in that situation?

Yes.

LaboriousCould she, using the non - continuous present perfect, have said 'Have you smoked?' as well?

No. To my ear that sounds like an inquiry about a life experience, as if 'ever' had been included:

Have you (ever) smoked (at any time in your life)?

'been smoking' brings the action much closer the situation at hand.

Almost any time you're talking about an activity in progress quite close in time to the time of talking about it, the present perfect continuous sounds pretty good.

I see crumbs around your lips. Have you been eating donuts? (Not Have you eaten donuts? Almost everybody has eaten donuts at some time in their lives, and the questioner is certainly not interested in the answer to that question.)

The pattern is:

Evidence of recent activity is noticed. A question in the present perfect continuous is asked. Here's another:

It smells good in here. Have you been baking cookies?

On the other hand, certain sentences are conceived of as events or actions rather than as activities:

Your hair looks different today. Have you had your hair cut?
Gosh! I haven't seen you in months. You look so different. Have you lost weight?

In these cases the questions don't seem to ask if these things have ever happened in your whole life. In these cases the perceived change seems to be due to an action that occurred some time earlier, not due to very recent activity.

Laboriouswhen we talk about something which has just finished or completed, but there's still some sort of connection or relation of this finished thing to the present, to the moment of speaking, we can use either the non - continuous present perfect or the continuous present perfect.

This text that you read probably means that one situation might need the continuous and another situation might need the non-continuous—not that any one situation can be expressed both ways. Usually it's one or the other, depending on the verb and/or the nature of the situation itself.

CJ

Laborious · Answer

CalifJimNo. To my ear that sounds like an inquiry about a life experience, as if 'ever' had been included:

But if we consider the whole sentence 'It stinks in here. Have you smoked?', doesn't it give the sense that the speaker (the questioner) is enquiring about something that has just finished, and not about somebody's life experience? I mean the preceding sentence 'It stinks in here' indicates that the questioner is asking about something that has just happened.

OK what if we add the signal word 'just' to the sentence 'Have you smoked?' and say 'Have you just smoked?'.

Here are some more examples. What do you think of these, please?

1.
A: You are covered in paint.
B: Yes, actually, (I've painted my house / I've been painting my house).

2.
A: Why are your clothes so dirty?
B: I have just cleaned my room / I have just been cleaning my room.

3.
Oh my gosh! You're sweating. It seems you have exercised / It seems you have been exercising.

Thank you.

CalifJim · Answer

LaboriousBut if we consider the whole sentence 'It stinks in here. Have you smoked?', doesn't it give the sense that the speaker (the questioner) is enquiring about something that has just finished, and not about somebody's life experience?

Yes, the opening remark "It stinks ..." gives the impression that something has just finished. So it looks like my explanation in terms of "life experience" is not a convincing one. I'll try to find a better argument that will convince you.

LaboriousOK what if we add the signal word 'just' to the sentence 'Have you smoked?' and say 'Have you just smoked?'.

What if? you ask. Well, nothing changes in terms of my opinion. They both sound inappropriate in the given situation.

Laboriousmore examples.

The good ones are in blue. The one in green is possible, but it would not be my first choice.

1.
A: You are covered in paint.
B: Yes, actually, (~~I've painted my house~~ / I've been painting my house).

I've painted my house means the whole project is finished. Being covered in paint is not evidence that such a big project is finished.

2.
A: Why are your clothes so dirty?
B: I have just cleaned my room / I have just been cleaning my room.

The room may be completely clean (first one) or still in need of further cleaning (second one). This is tough. I'm not sure that having dirty clothes is evidence of cleaning a room. It must be a very dirty room indeed!

3.
Oh my gosh! You're sweating. ~~It seems you have exercised~~ / It seems you have been exercising.

No specific reason occurs to me for this one, but the non-continuous form definitely seems wrong to me. Perhaps I feel that this one is like the first one. Sweating is not evidence that the exercise session is finished.

CJ

Present perfect simple vs Present perfect continuous

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