Present Perfect simple & Continuous Issue

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Anonymous  #129596  Mon, 22 Aug 05 02:39 PM
    Hi

I have some diffeculties understanding the present perfect progressive tense vs present perfect simple in the following examples

"We've been listening to greek radio."
VS
"We have listened to greek radio."

"We have been reporting that John was involved in the accident, this was not true..."
VS
"We have reported that John was involved in the accident, this was not true..."

Could someone tell me the differences in both examples?

I believe PPC means "recently / lately" if used without a period of time....like "for 5 hours" etc...

Thanks!

Jack E


  
davkett  #129661  Mon, 22 Aug 05 05:19 PM

You seem to me to have understood the difference correctly.

The first version, in both cases, expresses a more 'ongoing' nature in the verb.  You wouldn't want to use that tense for a completed action... unless, perhaps, it was completed just now...which would probably be best written/said as, 'just listened', and, 'just reported'.

 

 

  
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