How the present perfect differs from the present perfect progressive

[Joe Carillo]

Question posted in my Personal Messages box by Baklis, Forum member (November 13, 2014):

Good Morning Sir Joe,

I just want to know which of the following sentences is correct and what it conveys.
1. “Monique has stayed here for months.”
2. “Monique has been staying here for months.”

Have a nice day!

My reply to Baklis:

Both of these sentences are grammatically correct:
1. “Monique has stayed here for months.”
2. “Monique has been staying here for months.”

Sentence 1 is in the present perfect tense where the verb takes the form “has + past participle of the verb” (has + stayed). The sense conveyed by the present perfect is that of an action that continued for a certain length of time in the recent past but ended shortly before or up to the time of speaking. In the sentence given as example, Monique stayed in the place for months but no longer stays there.

On the other hand, Sentence 2 is in the present perfect progressive tense where the verb takes the form “has + been + progressive form of the verb” (has + been + staying). The sense conveyed by the present perfect progressive is that of an action that started sometime in the recent past and has continued without interruption up to the present or time of speaking. In the sentence given as example, Monique has stayed in the place for months without interruption and continues to stay there.

[Baklis]

Good Afternoon Sir Joe,
    Upon reading your book English Plain & Simple, it is stated there that one function of present perfect tense is ''express a state or condition that began in the past and leads up to and including the present.'' Monique has stayed here for months, serves as your example there. Is it correct to use present perfect tense to the given example there to denote that the condition/state of Monique extends up to the present or we've to use the present perfect progressive? Please do shed light upon this one Sir! Thank you.

[Joe Carillo]

That’s right: one function of the present perfect tense is to “express a state or condition that began in the past and continued up to and including the present.” In the sentence “Monique has stayed here for months,” in particular, the present perfect “has stayed” is used because Monique stayed in that place from sometime in the past up to the present time; at the very moment of speaking, however, Monique no longer stays in that place. If we used the present perfect progressive, “Monique has been staying here for months,” the sense would be that Monique has stayed in that place from sometime in the past up the present, has not left the place, and is expected to stay there in the foreseeable future.

In short, the present perfect is an ended or perfected action at the present time or at the moment of speaking; in contrast, the present perfect progressive is a continuing action that started sometime in the past and is expected to continue beyond the present into the foreseeable future.

[Baklis]

Thank you very much Sir. Perhaps I could use perfect tenses by now. ^^