A: Why is the bill cheaper than before?
B: Because we've been using less electricity.
Present Perfect Simple or Continuous?
Review
In Grammar 8-1, we studied that the Present Perfect Simple is often used to describe finished past actions that relate to the present:
The light has turned green. You can go!
The room has been painted blue. It looks much better now.
It's much quieter in here now that I've closed the window.
In this usage, English speakers are focusing on the present result of the completed action:
- The light has turned green. You can go!
- Present result = The light is green now. You can go.
- The room has been painted blue. It looks much better now.
- Present result = Now, the room is blue.
- It's much quieter in here now that I've closed the window.
- Present result = The window isn't open anymore.
Recent Activities
Sometimes, present results do not come from finished actions. Present results sometimes come from the activity itself. It does not matter whether the activity is finished or not:
"Why are your hands dirty?"
- Does the action, "working in the garden" have to be finished in order for someone's hands to be dirty?
"Why is your face so red?"
- Does the action, "laughing" have to be finished in order for someone's face to be red?
"Why does it smell so good in the kitchen?"
- Does the action, "cooking" have to be finished in order for the kitchen to smell good?
When we are interested in describing a recent activity that is connected with the present, we use the Present Perfect Continuous. It does not matter if the action is finished or not:
- My hands are dirty because I've been working in the garden.
- My face is red because I've been laughing.
- It smells good in the kitchen because my mother has been cooking.
Compare the examples:
| Focus on Completion | Focus on Activity |
|---|---|
| I've fixed my car. Do you want to go for a ride? | The garage is a mess. I've been fixing my car. |
| I've done my homework, so now I can play video games. | I've been doing my homework, so my eyes are a little tired from reading so much. |
| You're full because you've eaten so much. | You've been eating a lot of junk food lately. You should eat healthier. |
| I've typed my message, but there hasn't been a reply. | My fingers are sore because I've been typing. |
In the above examples, it is unclear whether the actions described in green are finished or not. In fact, it is not important.
Repeated Actions
We use the Present Perfect Simple to focus on how many times something has happened. We use the Present Perfect Continuous to say that something has happened repeatedly in the recent past:
- I've read that book twice.
- I've been reading that book. It's been great so far.
- It's rained a few times this week.
- It's been raining a lot this week.
- I've eaten three pieces of pizza so far.
- I've been eating so much pizza lately.
Exercise
Open the exercise to begin the activity. Follow the instructions in the document.