Have been trying or have tried?

Question

Which of the following sentences is correct?

1. For nearly 30 years he has tried to persuade the Commission to let him walk across the Falls. At last he has been granted permission.
2. For nearly 30 years he has been trying to persuade the Commission to let him walk across the falls. At last he has been granted permission.

Which of the first sentences are correct? Or are both correct? And what are the differences?

Thank you in advance for your answers.

Answer 1

This should be a definitive answer, by looking at the grammar usage and its implied meaning: Why we use present perfect continuous tense, when we can almost always use present perfect tense

He has been trying, which is a present perfect continuous, and he has tried, which is the present perfect tense, do have a slight difference, and present perfect continuous is often used by native speakers to stress certain feelings.

present perfect continuous is used to stress the following:

1. Stress the fact that the action has repeatedly occurred several/many times, such as in this case.

2. Stress the fact that the action has been continuously happening non-stop, as in this case.

He has been studying for 3 hours

3. Give a sense of complaining, such as

I've been studying for 3 hours! Let me go out!

present perfect continuous Cannot be used with stative verbs, those that do not use the continuous tense, such as

Ever since the accident I survived, I have believed there is a god.

Answer 2

To me both examples mean he started trying to get permission almost 30 years ago, in 1988 or 1989 and the trying continued until recently, in 2018, when permission was granted.