II. Basic contrasts

I. Basic uses

The present perfect simple refers to actions / situations that began in the past and which:

- are still true or relevant now - are now finished	· I’ve never smokeda cigar in my life · Someone has eaten all the cakes. · Have you finished your meal?
We use yet, just and already with the present perfect simple:	· Have you read the book yet? · She's finishedher work already.

The present perfect continuous refers to actions / situations / events which:

- started in the past and haven’t finished happening - repeated actions	· We’ve been waitingfor twenty minutes. · What have you been doing since we last met? · I have been learning English for five years.
The present perfect continuous is used to emphasise that an activity started in the past and is still going on. It’s commonly used after for or since.	· I’ve been playingfootball since I was seven. · She has been feeling unwell for two days.

Note! Remember that the present perfect

- is not used to refer to a definite time in the past

- is not normally used in questions that begin: When?

We always use the past simple with the phrases like these:

· I saw that film last week.

· When did you go there?

II. Basic contrasts

1. Sometimes there's no big difference in meaning between the two tenses. This is especially the case with verbs such as 'live', 'work' and 'study':	• They've livedin London since 2004. / They've been livingin London since 2004. • I've studiedFrench for ten years. / I've been studyingFrench for ten years. • He's workedfor the company since 2009. / He's been workingwith our company since 2009.
2. The present perfect simple is often used when we're talking about how much / how many (how many times someone has done sth or how many things someone has done). This isn't possible with the present perfect continuous, which is used to talk about how long.	· She's drunkthree cups of coffee today. · I usually work in London but I’ve been workingin Birmingham for the last 3 weeks. · I’ve been knockingfor five minutes but nobody has answered the door.
Note: We can use the present perfect simple to talk about how long when we view sth as permanent. But the present perfect continuous is often used to show that sth is temporary.
3. The present perfect continuous often focuses on the action itself, while the present perfect simple focuses on the fact that the action is completed:	• I've been readingthe book you recommended. (I'm enjoying it, but I'm not finished). • I've readthe book you recommended. (I've finished it, so we can talk about it).
This difference is often used to talk about different kinds of results in the present. The present perfect simple is often used when the action is finished, and the result comes from the action being finished:	• I've haddinner, so let's go out. • She'sdoneall her homework, so she can relax this evening. • I've madea cake. Would you like some?
The present perfect continuous is used when the result comes from the action itself. It doesn't matter if the whole action is finished or not. The result is often sth we can see, hear, smell, or feel:	• I've been eatingdinner, so there are plates all over the table. • She's been doingher homework, so she's tired. • I've been makinga cake, that's why the kitchen is such a mess.
Remember that the present perfect continuous has the meaning of ‘lately’ or ‘recently’. If you use the present perfect continuous in a question such as "Have you been feeling alright?", it can suggest that the person looks sick or unhealthy. A question such as "Have you been smoking?" can suggest that you smell the smoke on the person. Using this tense in a question suggests you can see, smell, hear or feel the results of the action. It is possible to insult someone by using this tense incorrectly.
4. Finally, the present perfect continuous can be used to emphasise that sth is temporary:	• She's been runninga lot recently. (She doesn't usually do this). • Usually I study at home, but I've been studyingin the library for the last week.

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