1. Present Perfect x Present Perfect
Continuous
• Tony’s clothes are covered
with paint.
He has been painting the
ceiling.
We are interested in the
activity. It doesn’t matter
whether something has been
finished or not. In this activity
(painting the ceiling) has not
been finished.

2. The ceiling was beige. Now
it is white. Tony has painted
the ceiling.
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.

3. Compare these examples:
• My hands are very dirty. • The car is OK again
I’ve been fixing my car. now. I’ve fixed it.
• She’s been eating too • Somebody has eaten all
much recently. my candy! The box is
empty.
• Where have you been? • Have you ever played
Have you been playing tennis?
tennis?

4. • Use the continuous to • Use the simple to say
say how long an how much, how many
activtity is still or how many times ( for
happening: completed actions):
• How long have you been • How many pages of that
reading that book? book have you read?
• They’ve been studying • They have studied
English since 1:30 p.m English three times this
week.