Three repaired chairs gives a completed total. Repairing all afternoon describes how time has been spent. The second statement does not by itself tell us how many chairs are ready.
The idea
With action verbs, the simple perfect often presents a result or completed count; the continuous foregrounds activity or duration. State verbs such as know normally use the simple form. With verbs such as live and work, both forms can describe continuing situations, often with little difference.
Examples
- I have repaired three chairs today.
- I have been repairing chairs all afternoon.
- He has written the report, and it's ready to send.
- We have lived on this street for seven years.
- We have been living on this street for seven years.
- I have known these neighbours for seven years.
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Watch out
Do not reduce the choice to “simple means finished, continuous means unfinished”. Have known describes a continuing state. A continuous activity may have just stopped. A number does not ban continuous forms, but they do not normally present that number as a completed total.
Try it yourself
Explicitly report a completed total. I ___ three chairs today. (have repaired / have been repairing)
Show answer or example answer
have repaired
Have repaired directly reports three completed repairs. Have been repairing focuses on the activity, not a completed total.
Focus on the activity without claiming completion. He ___ the report. (has written / has been writing)
Show answer or example answer
has been writing
Has been writing presents the writing activity without asserting that the report is complete.
Choose the correct option. We ___ each other since school. (have known / have been knowing)
Show answer or example answer
have known
Know in this state meaning normally uses have known, even though the relationship continues.
Practice round
Answer questions and rebuild English sentences to practise. Your score is shown.
Explicitly report a completed total. I ___ three chairs today. (have repaired / have been repairing)
Focus on the activity without claiming completion. He ___ the report. (has written / has been writing)
Choose the correct option. We ___ each other since school. (have known / have been knowing)
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
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Describe one project twice: first report a completed result, then describe the activity and time spent. Add a continuing state with know and explain why it uses the simple perfect.