Hi, everyone
It has rained for 3 days. vs It has been raining for 3 days.
These two sentences mean exactly the same or any differences?
Thanks in advance!
Gooday!
I doubt about it as well.
First of all, I’d like to tell you that more context should have been given.
I wrote my opinion after which I deleted it telling to myself, ‘e2e4, you had better shut up and ask for a teacher explanation.’
So, I’d like to hear from a teacher how he teaches the boys in a school in Britain.
- it is raining now.
1A. How to ask a question about the weather in former days?
1B. How to ask a question why the ground is so wet?
1C. How to ask a question has it been raining for a week or started early in the morning?
- It is not raining now.
2A. How to ask a question has it rained these days. Or it should be said, ‘Did it rain these days’.
2B. How to ask a question has it rained a lot or has it been raining a lot these days.
Or the question should be,’ How much did it rain these days’?
Etc.
Thanks
They are so close in meaning that most native English speakers would not recognise any difference, Tasmantiger.
‘Has been’ emphasises the fact slightly.
Hi,
To me the difference is that ‘has rained’ suggests that it has now possibly stopped and ‘has been raining’ suggests that it’s still raining now.
Alan
Boys - and girls, of course!
Usually they don’t have to be taught the English language patterns specifically, as they grow up with them.
Looking at your questions, I’m not really sure I understand what you mean or whether you want something more, but:
1A. How to ask a question about the weather in former days?
What was the weather like yesterday / 2 days ago / last week / last month, etc?
1B. How to ask a question why the ground is so wet?
Why is the ground so wet?
1C. How to ask a question has it been raining for a week or started early in the morning?
Has it been raining all week or did it start today?
2A. How to ask a question has it rained these days. Or it should be said, ‘Did it rain these days’.
Has it rained in the last few days?
2B. How to ask a question has it rained a lot or has it been raining a lot these days.
Has it been raining a lot?
Or the question should be,’ How much did it rain these days’?
Has there been much rain?
‘Suggests’ yes, but it isn’t necessarily the case. Both tenses can indicate that it has just stopped raining:
“It has rained for three days. Thank goodness it has stopped now.”
“It has been raining for three days. Thank goodness it’s stopped at last!”
I never like to be too dictatorial about my comments and that’s why I often use the word ‘suggest’. You say ’ it isn’t necessarily the case’ and that’s precisely what I have ‘suggested’. And then you go and say ‘can indicate’. What point are you trying to make?
Alan
I was merely giving an example of how that might not be the case.
You extend my answers quite frequently.
For example, here:
Theme vs. topic?
Meaning of words ‘overtaker’ and ‘takeover’
you don’t seem to have made any addition to the definitions provided in the dictionary URLs I provided.
For the record, my replies to both those examples you quote were directed to the individual who had addressed his question to me by name. I also believe that if someone has taken the trouble to write a question, they don’t always want to be fobbed off by being told to look it up in a dictionary. I assume that they have done this already and want a personal response.
Alan
At length, I’ve got all of this this way below
1. It has been raining for three days now.
It mustn’t be raining now at the moment of speaking. But it has rained today. Might continue. Might not.
-
It has rained for three days. (Because of that the ground is so wet. The wet ground is the direct result)
If I wanted to point to a cause for which the ground is so wet I would use the present perfect tense.
It either might have stopped raining or it is maybe raining at the moment of speaking.
I am not speaking about is it raining now or going to continue.
I am telling you the fact why the ground is so wet.
In addition
- It is not raining now and I am starting a conversation.
Has it rained these days?
Yes, it has rained for three days.
When?
It rained on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.
What did they say? Is it going to rain again.
I don’t know.
- It is raining now and I am starting a conversation.
Has it been raining these days as well.
No it hasn’t. Started about 4 o’clock in the morning.
Please correct this as well.
Those were the two most recent examples of many. I shan’t bother to check whether all the others were also addressed to you by name, because frankly I’m not as concerned as you seem to be about this instance.
Our perceptions differ as I don’t think most learners who ask that question even consider looking the answer up in a dictionary first. The minority who look in a dictionary will usually say that they have done so and give an indication of why they are still confused.
As you are making statement ‘for the record’ I’ll make mine:
It’s not ‘being fobbed off’, it’s ‘encouraging independence’ by giving the learner an alternative means of finding the answers they require.
I like to help people develop independence, so I shall continue to suggest use of a dictionary where I think the definition is clear enough.
‘These days’ is still incorrect.
The question and response don’t make sense.
“Last days” isn’t much correct as well.(smile),(last days of whom or what?)
Has it been raining in/during the recent days?
Thanks
Hi Bev,
Please don’t get so steamed up about my comments! I am not a bit concerned after 8 years answering points on these forums about whether questions are addressed to me or not - I was merely explaining why I responded to those two questions since you had raised them. Do take it easy, please!
Alan
Notice this:
It indicates where a number should go in the sentence:
Has it rained in the last two days?
Has it rained in the last three days?
Has it rained in the last seven days?
Has it rained in the last thirty days?
Has it rained recently?
Has it been raining recently?
Hi Alan,
I didn’t respond in those threads and the only reason I made another response here was to answer this:
I hope that this question has now been answered and we can move on.
Is it about weeks, days or hours? (wink)
Yes. 
I’ve got the many explanations from you, and E2e4.
Thanks, Alan and Beeesneees !
However I’m still confused about Perfect Tense.
So, step by step approach.
First Question: It has rained for three days.
In this case, is it still raining now?, or has the rain just stopped? Or both will do?
Thanks. Gooday!
It could mean either.
It might still be raining, it might have just stopped, it might have stopped a short while ago (but it was definitely raining yesterday and for 1 or 2* days before that).
*1 or 2 depending on whether
it is the end of the day and it is still raining, in which case today is the 3rd day
or
yesterday was the 3rd day and it has either stopped raining, or it is too early in the day to tell whether it will rain for the whole day.