About tense

你好，请看以下的解释咯。

My sister has been talking on the phone for forty minutes.
这里可以有两个说法的，一是我的姐姐已经讲了四十分钟的电话并且是刚刚讲完了，二是我的姐姐已经讲了四十分钟的电话并且现在还在讲着的。

My sister has talked on the phone for forty minutes.
我的姐姐已经讲了四十分钟的电话并且已经是讲完了。

想你留意的是。。。

其实我们用 present perfect 是注重那个动作的结果，也注重它是否完成了没有，也就是说 we are interested in the activity whether it has been finished. We are also interested in the result of the activity。

反而，我们用 present perfect continuous 是注重那个动作或事物而不是结果，也不注重它是否完成了没有，也就是说 we are interested in the activity. It does not matter whether something has been finished or not。

你也可以看看以下的参考资料咯，里面我有提到这两个时式/时态 (tense) 的。

因此，Ben has played computer games since 2006. 跟 Ben has been playing computer games since 2006. 的意思是蛮相似的，也就是 Ben 自从 2006 年就已经玩电脑游戏直到现在的，最大的分别就是 present perfect 是注重那个动作的结果，而 present perfect continuous 是注重那个动作或事物而不是结果而已。

希望能帮到你咯。。。: )

2009-06-25 09:39:20 補充：
回应 Cherie，我并不认为 Ben has been playing computer games since 2006. 是日日夜夜，不眠不休地玩和沒有停過，反而是讲述着 Ben 从 2006 年开始就一直玩电脑游戏与注重“玩电脑游戏”这个动作咯，就好像。。。

James has been teaching at the university since June.
James 从六月份开始就一直在那间大学里教课了。

He has been living in the same cell since 1972.
他从1972年开始就一直住在这间小屋。

不知道你又怎么看呢？

2009-06-26 12:00:34 補充：
回应 Cherie，是的，我也认同你所说的 It has been raining the whole morning. 是比较好的，可是我依然觉得用 Ben has been playing computer games since 2006. 会是比较好过用 Ben has played computer games since 2006. 的。

如果你有一些英文语法很好的朋友或老师，你不妨问问他们的意见，然后再告诉我/我们好吗？先谢谢你咯。。。: )

'My sister has been talking on the phone for forty minutes'可否改成 'My sister has talked on the phone for forty minutes'?

No. You cannot changed the first sentence. The two have slightly different meaning.

First one: at the time you are saying it; your sister is still talking on the phone.

Second one: at the time you are saying it; your sister has finished talking ie she has put down the phone.

Present Perfect tense 是現在完成式
故名思議是一個action剛剛完成了
例如
I have finished my homework.
我剛剛完成我的功課。

但其實現在完成式不一定用於完成的動作
就例如你的句子
My sister has talked on the phone for forty minutes.
姐姐已用了電話40分鐘

這個情況有兩種可能性
1.她剛放下電話，不會繼續

2. 我們知道的是她已用了電話40分鐘，不知道她會否繼續

那present perfect tense 和 present perfect progressive 的最大分別在於我們希望強調什麼

如果是
My sister has been talking on the phone for forty minutes
我的姐姐已經用了電話40分鐘，時間很長。


present perfect Progressive 是強調「時間很長」

所以兩句都是對的，只是想表達和強調的不同。
而 Ben_________________(play)computer games since 2006.

用present perfect tense會比較自然
Ben has played computer games since 2006.

Ben has been playing computer games since 2006.

第二句的意思是Ben由2006年開始不斷玩電腦遊戲，沒有停過，4年來，日日夜夜，不眠不休地玩。我相作者不是這樣的意思。




2009-06-25 15:36:48 補充：
回應shumcheechoy

就如我所說的
兩種時式都是可以的，只是強調的東西不同。

present perfect tense 強調的是那個result (結果)
而present perfect progressive 強調的是那個progress (過程)

而在
Ben has played computer games since 2006.
Ben has been playing computer games since 2006.

兩句也是可行的
只是前者來的自然

2009-06-25 15:37:54 補充：
*process (過程)

2009-06-25 19:41:53 補充：
*來得

2009-06-26 10:22:39 補充：
而在這個例 It_______________(rain)the whole morning.

用present perfect progressive 會比較自然

"the whole morning", 我想作者是想表達整個早上也下著雨
應該是想強調下雨下了很久而不是那結果

所以
It has been raining the whole morning.
會好一點。

兩句的意思不同
'My sister has been talking on the phone for forty minutes'
解仲未講完電話，仲要講下去。強調講左好耐。



'My sister has talked on the phone for forty minutes'
已講完電話，cut 左線了。

如果my sister現在talk 左40分鐘,現在仲talk緊,就用has been talking(present perfect progessive).但如果由頭到尾talk左40分鐘就無talk,就用has talked(present perfect tense)

你可以買本PEU,我本英文書,好有用,有tense的用法同preposition)