Present Perfect Versus Present Perfect Continuous?

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Present Perfect Versus Present Perfect Continuous?

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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')

Oct 17 2006 18:04:33

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Search (top right Search box)
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.

Oct 17 2006 18:08:22

Diamondrg
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')

Some ideas from a non-native speaker:

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?

Oct 17 2006 18:34:37

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it would be out of breath. a typo.

You are out of breath. Have you been running?

Is he still running?

Oct 17 2006 20:43:45

DiamondrgYou are out of breath. Have you been running?

Is he still running?

No, because then the question doesn't make sense: you see the person in front of you (as you see he's out of breath), thus you know if he's still running or not.

Oct 17 2006 20:57:42

Marius Hancu
Diamondrg
You are out of breath. Have you been running?

Is he still running?

No, because then the question doesn't make sense: you see the person in front of you (as you see he's out of breath), thus you know if he's still running or not.

Who has been sitting in my place?

Does this make no sense, either?

Oct 17 2006 21:23:02

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Marius Hancu
DiamondrgYou are out of breath. Have you been running?

Is he still running?
No, because then the question doesn't make sense: you see the person in front of you (as you see he's out of breath), thus you know if he's still running or not.

I realize now the question has some sense when talking to the person over the phone, and hearing his/her heavy breathing

Oct 17 2006 21:50:57

Diamondrg
Marius Hancu
DiamondrgYou are out of breath. Have you been running?

Is he still running?
No, because then the question doesn't make sense: you see the person in front of you (as you see he's out of breath), thus you know if he's still running or not.
Who has been sitting in my place?

Does this make no sense, either?

This makes sense: you see (now) the things which have been disturbed by his/her presence at your desk, etc.

Oct 17 2006 21:54:01

Would it be wrong if it were 'Ann's clothes are covered in paint. [She] has painted the ceiling'?

No, not wrong, but the sentences seem less related to one another now, compared to the other choice. In the quoted version above, I imagine Ann's clothes in a heap in a corner, ready to be laundered. Ann herself may be miles away.

In the other version (has been painting) I imagine Ann wearing the clothes and holding a paint brush. Go figure.

CJ

Oct 18 2006 03:13:52

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Search (top right Search box)
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.
Diamondrg
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')
Some ideas from a non-native speaker:

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?
it would be out of breath. a typo.

You are out of breath. Have you been running?

Is he still running?
DiamondrgYou are out of breath. Have you been running?

Is he still running?
No, because then the question doesn't make sense: you see the person in front of you (as you see he's out of breath), thus you know if he's still running or not.
Marius Hancu
Diamondrg
You are out of breath. Have you been running?

Is he still running?

No, because then the question doesn't make sense: you see the person in front of you (as you see he's out of breath), thus you know if he's still running or not.
Who has been sitting in my place?

Does this make no sense, either?
Marius Hancu
DiamondrgYou are out of breath. Have you been running?

Is he still running?
No, because then the question doesn't make sense: you see the person in front of you (as you see he's out of breath), thus you know if he's still running or not.
I realize now the question has some sense when talking to the person over the phone, and hearing his/her heavy breathing
Diamondrg
Marius Hancu
DiamondrgYou are out of breath. Have you been running?

Is he still running?
No, because then the question doesn't make sense: you see the person in front of you (as you see he's out of breath), thus you know if he's still running or not.
Who has been sitting in my place?

Does this make no sense, either?
This makes sense: you see (now) the things which have been disturbed by his/her presence at your desk, etc.
Would it be wrong if it were 'Ann's clothes are covered in paint. [She] has painted the ceiling'?
No, not wrong, but the sentences seem less related to one another now, compared to the other choice. In the quoted version above, I imagine Ann's clothes in a heap in a corner, ready to be laundered. Ann herself may be miles away.

In the other version (has been painting) I imagine Ann wearing the clothes and holding a paint brush. Go figure.

CJ

Present Perfect Versus Present Perfect Continuous?

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