In his 'English Grammar in Use' Raymond Murphy says:
(1) Ann's clothes are covered in paint. She has been painting the ceiling.
"Has been painting is the present perfect continuous. We are interested in the activity. It does not matter whether something has been finished or not. In this example, the activity (painting the ceiling) has not been finished."
(2) The ceiling was white. Now it is blue. She has painted the ceiling.
"Has painted is the present perfect simple. Here, the important thing is that something has been finished. 'Has painted' is a completed action. We are interested in the result of the activity (the painted ceiling), not in the activity itself."
Well, Ann's clothes being covered in paint is also a result of her painting. How can one distinguish between them? Would it be wrong if it were 'Ann's clothes are covered in paint. He has painted the ceiling'?
or
You are out breath. Have you run? (Instead of 'have you been running')
(1) Ann's clothes are covered in paint. She has been painting the ceiling.
"Has been painting is the present perfect continuous. We are interested in the activity. It does not matter whether something has been finished or not. In this example, the activity (painting the ceiling) has not been finished."
(2) The ceiling was white. Now it is blue. She has painted the ceiling.
"Has painted is the present perfect simple. Here, the important thing is that something has been finished. 'Has painted' is a completed action. We are interested in the result of the activity (the painted ceiling), not in the activity itself."
Well, Ann's clothes being covered in paint is also a result of her painting. How can one distinguish between them? Would it be wrong if it were 'Ann's clothes are covered in paint. He has painted the ceiling'?
or
You are out breath. Have you run? (Instead of 'have you been running')
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Comments
with
Present Perfect Continuous
and you will find many related threads. Read several of them first.
The previous activity is described by the continuous, and this is the concern here.
Yes, it would be wrong. Neither is correct.
She's painted the ceiling. --> The ceiling is now painted.
[painting starts ---->----->----- painting ends ] [ceiling now painted]
Her clothes are covered in paint, she's been painting the ceiling. --> Her clothes got dirty during her painting.
[painting starts ---->----->----- painting ends (?)]
On this time scale, where exactlydid her clothes get dirty?
Food for thought: If Ann enters the living room in dirty clothes, you look at her clothes with disgust and she says "I've been painting the ceiling in the bedroom", do you know whether she finished it?
You are out of breath. Have you been running?
Is he still running?
Does this make no sense, either?
In the other version (has been painting) I imagine Ann wearing the clothes and holding a paint brush. Go figure.
CJ