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I've got two sentences. "I've worked there for three years" and "I've been working there for 3 years". Grammar teaches us there's no difference in meaning in both sentences. But I can't believe it. I feel there are some nuances, shades etc. What can you say?

Fivejedjon · Accepted Answer

The progressive aspect often suggests duration, but, with verbs such as live and work that in themselves indicate a situation that has duration, there is often no real difference in meaning between the progressive and non progressive forms of the present perfect.

Anonymous · Answer

In US English (fivejedjon is British), there is a nuance between the two.

A: "Where do you work?"

B: "At Joe's Pancake House."

A: "How long have you worked there?"

B: "I've worked there for three years." (This is a neutral sentence. The speaker is simply giving out information concerning the duration of his employment at a certain establishment.)

C: "Where do you work?"

D: "At Joe's Pancake House."

C: "How long have you worked there?"

D: "I've been working there for three years." (This sentence is no longer strictly neutral. The progressive tense adds extra words to a sentence, and a longer sentence draws the listener's attention. Thus, the use of the progressive may be deliberate on the speaker's part. The speaker may be trying to emphasize - perhaps subliminally - that he doesn't particularly like his work and three years doing it has gotten to him.)

CalifJim · Answer

Oceanatali I've got two sentences. "I've worked there for three years" and "I've been working there for 3 years". Grammar teaches us there's no difference in meaning in both sentences. But I can't believe it. I feel there are some nuances, shades etc. What can you say?

The continuous tenses can suggest something temporary, but working somewhere for three years is not really very temporary, so in this case the difference between the continuous and non-continuous tense is minimized. However, you might find a contrast between long and short periods of time thus:

I've worked at Acme Accounting for 10 years. However, because of a plant closure for renovation this year, I've been working at a branch office in a nearby town since last month. In another month the renovations will be finished, and I'll be back at my usual office.

CJ

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