Hi minegurtop! A very simple explanation for the difference between the present Perfect and the PPContinuous, you said...
1. I�ve been reading Hamlet.
2. I�ve read Hamlet.
Questions asked to the students: In sentence 1, Have I finished reading the book? Can you be sure of that? (no)
When they come to the conclusion that the answer is no, we ask which is more important to the speaker -- to convey the idea that he/she has finished the book or that his/her reading has continued over a period of time .
In sentence 2, which is more important? The fact that I�ve finnished the book or the activity of reading it? (The fact that I�ve finished the book)
So, what�s the difference between the 2 sentences? 1st one - an action which has continued until now and may continue in the future. 2nd sentence - a completed action on an indefinite time in the past.
So, the Present perfect continuous is used when we want to emphasize that the action has continued over a period of time. It isn�t important if we�ve finished the book or not.
Well, that�s how David Bolton and Noel Goodey put it! Hope it helps you.
