Present perfect vs. present perfect progressive

Question

Hi,My question concerns tenses once more. Consider this example:I have worked here since 2000.There should not be much difference toI have been working here since 2000.Maybe the latter is putting a little more stress on the duration.What about these sentences?I have contacted him since two weeks ago.I have been contacting him since two weeks ago.I understand that the latter implies that I over and over tried to reach him. The first one, however, does it mean that I tried to call him (once) in the given period or also that I tried over and over again?Paul

Yankee · Accepted Answer

Hi Paul

paul_hI have worked here since 2000.

There should not be much difference to

I have been working here since 2000.

Maybe the latter is putting a little more stress on the duration.

There is no significant difference in meaning in those particular sentences, however I would agree that the continuous form tends to add to the sense of duration.

paul_hI have contacted him since two weeks ago.

If you want to refer to a series of contacts in the last two weeks, you could write something like this, for example:
- I have been in contact with him for two weeks.

paul_hI have been contacting him since two weeks ago.

This is better than your last sentence if you want to refer to a series of contacts. However, it does not refer to a series of attempts to contact. It refers to a series of contacts.

paul_hI understand that the latter implies that I over and over tried to reach him.

If you want to indicate a series of attempts to contact him, you can say something like this:
- I have been trying to contact him for two weeks / since two weeks ago.

paul_hThe first one, however, does it mean that I tried to call him (once) in the given period or also that I tried over and over again?

The following sentence could be used to mean that you contacted him at least once within the time frame of the last two weeks. The specific time of the contact within the time frame is otherwise unspecified:

- I have contacted him since two weeks ago.

It is fairly likely that the sentence above would be used to contradict a statement that claimed the last contact with him was two weeks ago. In this sort of context, the word "have" would be stressed in the spoken sentence.

CalifJim · Answer

paul_hWhat about these sentences?

I have contacted him since two weeks ago.

I have been contacting him since two weeks ago.

I understand that the latter implies that I over and over tried to reach him. The first one, however, does it mean that I tried to call him (once) in the given period or also that I tried over and over again?

I'd say you need these:

I contacted him less than two weeks ago. / It's been less than two weeks since I contacted him.

I have been contacting him for two weeks. / I've been in communication with him for two weeks.

Neither has anything to do with trying to contact him.

since with ago doesn't really work well, and a phrase with for is almost always better, unless it's a sort of comparison like this:

His English has improved greatly since six months ago. (compared to how it was six months ago)

CJ

Present perfect vs. present perfect progressive

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions