The comments in parentheses

Question

Hello,Could you ( a native speaker preferably) correct the comments in parentheses, please? Are they right? I have been driving my car.(I am still driving it)I have been driving my car for ages/for five years.(I am still driving it)I have driven my car.(He/she doesn't drive it anymore)I have driven my car for ages/for five years.(The person may or may not be driving it anymore)They have been married.(They are not married anymore)They have been married for twenty years/for ages(They may or may not be married anymore)Thanks

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

I have been driving my car.(I may or may not be still driving it)
I have been driving my car for ages/for five years.(I am still driving it or I am at home, not driving it.)
I have driven my car.(A life experience; hopefully, /she will drive it again.)
I have driven my car for ages/for five years.(The person may or may not be driving it anymore)
They have been married.(They are not married anymore or they just got married.)
They have been married for twenty years/for ages (They are still married)

Nina_Nia · Answer

Mister MicawberThey have been married.(They are not married anymore or they just got married.)
Mister MicawberI have been driving my car.(I may or may not be still driving it)

I am a little confused by the second sentence. Does it mean that I have been driving my car recently, but I am not driving it at the moment? Can it mean anything else?

And the first sentence; as far as I understand it means that somebody has just got married, right?

Thanks

Mister Micawber · Answer

I am a little confused by the second sentence. Does it mean that I have been driving my car recently, but I am not driving it at the moment? -- That's how I understand it, yes. Can it mean anything else?-- The speaker could still be sitting in the car and driving, I suppose, if she is illegally using her cellphone while she is driving.

And the first sentence; as far as I understand it means that somebody has just got married, right?-- Either that or they are divorced.

Nina_Nia · Answer

If this sentence I have been driving my car shows that the action was in progress recently why is it a mistake to use present perfect continuous in these two examples; I have been living in France/I have been living in France my whole life/for five years/for ages to mean that these actions were in progress too, but have finished recently?

I know one of the most common examples from books which shows how present perfect continuous is used
to imply that the action has finished recently is; 'My hands are dirty because I have been gardening' The action has finished, he/she is not gardening anymore, but I didn't understand why it was wrong to use it in this sense in the red sentences above.

Thanks

Mister Micawber · Answer

Could you please eliminate all the bolding and colors?  I cannot locate your question( s).

Nina_Nia · Answer

Yes, of course.

If this sentence; I have been driving my car', shows that the action was in progress recently why is it a mistake to use present perfect continuous in these two examples; 'I have been living in France/I have been living in France my whole life/for five years/for ages' to mean that these actions were in progress too, but have finished recently?

I know one of the most common examples from books which shows how present perfect continuous is used
to imply that the action has finished recently is; 'My hands are dirty because I have been gardening' The action has finished, he/she is not gardening anymore, but I didn't understand why it was wrong to use it in this sense in the red sentences above.

Thanks

Mister Micawber · Answer

'I have been driving my car' shows that the action was in progress recently or is happening now.

why is it a mistake to use present perfect continuous in these two examples;I have been living in France / I have been living in France my whole life/for five years/for ages' to mean that these actions were in progress too, but have finished recently?- With 'live', the continuous usually suggests temporariness, irrespective of whether it is still happening. Unless you are dead, 'my whole life' most reasonably suggests that it is still happening.

I know one of the most common examples from books which shows how present perfect continuous is used
to imply that the action has finished recently is; 'My hands are dirty because I have been gardening' The action has finished, he/she is not gardening anymore, but I didn't understand why it was wrong to use it in this sense in the red sentences above.-- That is not the most common use; the continuous more usually suggests that the action has not finished, in contradistinction to the present perfect ('have done') form.

Nina_Nia · Answer

Mister Micawberwhy is it a mistake to use present perfect continuous in these two examples;I have been living in France / I have been living in France my whole life/for five years/for ages' to mean that these actions were in progress too, but have finished recently?- With 'live', the continuous usually suggests temporariness, irrespective of whether it is still happening. Unless you are dead, 'my whole life' most reasonably suggests that it is still happening.

But if we imagine such a situation; I meet my new neighbor an old lady about eighty who says; You know, Nina I have been living in France / I have been living in France my whole life/for five years/for ages. Then wouldn't it be possible in a context like this one?

I believe if I added 'before I moved here' in the sentence above I would have to say; I had been living in France / I had been living in France my whole life/for five years/for ages' before I moved here.

Thanks

Mister Micawber · Answer

But if we imagine such a situation; I meet my new neighbor an old lady about eighty who says; You know, Nina I have been living in France / I have been living in France my whole life/for five years/for ages. Then wouldn't it be possible in a context like this one?-- Anything is possible if one is constructing artificial scenarios. My job is to identify the reasonable or realistic ones.

I believe if I added 'before I moved here' in the sentence above I would have to say; I had been living in France / I had been living in France my whole life/for five years/for ages' before I moved here.-- No: with the word 'before', past perfect is not called for. 'I was living / I lived in France...before I moved here.

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