Obsession

Continuous forms

The following ideas are expressed by all continuous forms:
1)Activity in progress
Be quiet! I am thinking.
I was having a shower when the phone range.
I ve been working since 9 o clock this morning.

2)Temporary activity
We re staying with friends until we find a place of our own.
We ve been living with them for six weeks.

3)Possible incomplete activity.
I m writing a report. I have to finish it by tomorrow.
Who s been eating my sandwich?
Present Perfect Continuous
Positive and negative

I/We/You/They ve been working.
I/We/You/They haven t been working.

Question
How long have I/you/we been working?
How long has he/she/it been working?

Use:
We use the Present Perfect Continuous to express:

1)an activity that began in the past and is continuing now.
I have been studying English for three years.
How long have you been working here?
Sometimes there is no difference between the simple and the continuous.
I ve played the piano since I was a boy.
I ve been playing the piano since I was a boy.
If the continuous is possible, English has a preference for using it.
The continuous can sometimes express a temporary activity, and the simple a permanent state.
I ve been living in this house for the past few months. (temporary)
I ve lived all my life. (permanent)

2)a past activity that has caused a present result.
I ve been working all day. (I m tired now.)
Have you been crying? (Your eyes are red.)
Roger s been cutting the grass. (I can smell it.)

Present Perfect Simple or Continuous?

1)The simple expresses a completed action.
I ve painted the kitchen, and now I m doing the bathroom.
The continuous expresses an activity over a period and things that happened during the activity.
I ve got paint in my hair because I ve been decorating.

2)Some verbs don t have the idea of a long time, for example, find start, buy, die, lose, break, stop. These verbs are more usually found in the example.
Some verbs have the idea of a long time, for example, wait, work, play, try, learn, rain. These verbs are often found in the continuous.
I have cut my finger. (One short action.)
I have been cutting firewood. (Perhaps over several hours.)