Greece80  +  52938 Sun, 31 Oct 04 04:51 PM Hello everyone, I have a question. What's the difference between this sentences? 1.) I have lived in Hanau since 2001. 2.) I have been living in Hanau since 2001. Thanks in advance, Dany Greece80 Joined on Wed, Aug 18 2004 Germany New Member 19 I would be very glad, if you correct my mistakes Difference Between, Present Perfect

	Clive  +  52967 Sun, 31 Oct 04 09:17 PM Hi Dany, Obviously, you have given no context with these sentences. I can imagine some unusual contexts that would result in less common meanings. However, in more usual contexts, both of these sentences mean that the speaker began living there in 2001 and still lives there. By using the progressive or continuous tense, #2 emphasises the length of the time the speaker has been living there. That's a short answer, but I hope it helps you. Clive Clive Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004 Canada Veteran Member 29,582 El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo Tenses, Present Perfect

	Greece80  +  53105 Mon, 01 Nov 04 07:17 PM Hello Clive, in your explanation, both of these sentences mean the same. So I have one question again. Is the Present Perfect commutable with the Present Perfect Progressive and reverse? Kind regards, Dany Greece80 Regards, Present Perfect, Perfect Progressive

	Clive  +  53325 Wed, 03 Nov 04 12:36 AM Hi again, Dany, No, it depends on what you want me to understand. Here is a longer answer. If you want to stress to me the length of the activity, use Present Perfect Progressive (PPP). If you don't want to, use Present Perfect Simple (PPS). Also, the PPP is not used for activities that ended a long time ago, but instead for activities that have only recently finished or are still continuing now. For example: Sorry I'm late, I've been doing my homework. compared to I've done my homework, have you done yours? I have visited China, have you? (I visited it in 1975) So, if 3 years in Hanau since 1971 seems like a long time to you, use PPP. If not, use PPS. I'm just trying to explain the basic principle to you. I hope you can read the details in your grammar book. What do you think? Clive Clive Grammar, Present Perfect, Perfect Progressive

	Greece80  +  53460 Wed, 03 Nov 04 07:47 PM Thanks for your explanation. I think, that I have understood now. I was only irritatet, that both times have the same signal words. Kind regards, Dany Greece80 Regards, Present Perfect