Present perfect simple and continuous..

English as a Second Language English Teacher Explanations (ESL Tests)
1

I’m looking to understand…the differences between present perfect simple and continuous.

for exemple…I have this text below…and the question is ''change four of the verbs in bold which should be in the present perfect simple.

For many years, campaigners in America [color=red]have been trying to get rattlesnake round ups banned. They say that round ups [color=red]have been becoming commercial events that promote cruelty to animals. A number of pressure groups [color=red]have been working together to organize demonstrations. They [color=red]have also[color=red] been speaking to local politicians and companies that sponsor the shows. They [color=red]have been scoring an important victory in Pennsylvania where the state [color=red]has been banning the killing of snakes during competitins. Campaigners say that this proves that they [color=red]have been getting thier message across. but people in texas [color=red]have been being less responsive.

Best regards.

2

Hi,

The general point about the continuous form in any tense is that it isn’t usually used where the action describes a state or a single fact rather than a continuing activity. A perfect example is the verb ‘be’ which describes that something exists. Of course some verbs (including ‘be’) can be stative (describing a state) or dynamic where they describe an activity.

Examples of this ‘stative’ or ‘single’ fact use would be:

  1. have become and not ‘have been becoming’.
  2. have scored and not ‘have been scoring.’
  3. have banned and not ‘have been banning.’
  4. have been and not ‘have been being’.

Alan