The present perfect tense is used to talk about things where there is a connection between the past and the present, while the present perfect progressive began in the past, is unfinished, and continues into the future.
The present perfect simple (I’ve written) gives the idea of possible completion while the present perfect continuous (I’ve been writing) suggests that something is unfinished. The present perfect progressive has a more limited use than present progressive, because it is used to emphasize when an action is incomplete at the present time. In addition, the present perfect progressive tense, like all progressive tenses, can only be used with action verbs. The present perfect, like all perfect (non-progressive) tenses, can be used with either action or state verbs.
We can use the present perfect simple to talk about duration when we view something as permanent, but the present perfect continuous is used more often to show that something is temporary. Be aware that the present perfect progressive has a similar structure to the present perfect tense in passive voice. Voice and tense are different, and any of the 12 tenses in English can be put into either active or passive voice.
Present perfect: subject + has/have + past participle
Present perfect progressive: subject + has/have + been + action verb+ing
| Incorrect | Correct |
| I have been worked for six hours, but I’m still not finished. (passive voice confusion) | I have been working for six hours, but I’m still not finished. |
