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I have gone through few documents in Google for Present perfect continuous tense and came to know below things.

The present perfect progressive tense has two uses. It is used for:

(1) a continuous activity that began in the past and continues into the present, or (2) a continuous activity that began in past but has now finished (usually very recently).

It might seem a little unusual that an activity which started in the past and finished in the past can be categorized as present tense, but this is because it normally has a relevance to the present.

I understood the first two points but the one in bold font, for which i need example, with clear explanation.

i appreciate your response.

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  • In your point 2) the description is misleading. Whether you use "He's been swimming a lot lately." or "He's swum a lot lately." the activity is in the past, without specifying "when" specifically. So, these can be described an "indefinite pasts". The point is to express a past, but not the specific time of the activity. Compare that to: "He swam a lot when he lived at the beach." i.e. he no longer swims.
    – Lambie
    Dec 17, 2017 at 15:46
  • Not that the distinction between (1) and (2) is cut and dried, but "He's been swimming a lot lately" would be better regarded as an example of (1), an activity that began in the past and is regarded as continuing in the present. Obviously it's a repeated or habitual activity rather than a truly continuous one.
    – rjpond
    Dec 17, 2017 at 16:40

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It might seem a little unusual that an activity which started in the past and finished in the past can be categorized as present tense, but this is because it normally has a relevance to the present.

Examples could include:

  • "Why are you sweating?" - "I've been running."
  • "You seem drunk. Have you been drinking?"
  • "I'm glad I'm finally here. I've been driving all morning."

These activities started and finished in the past, but are relevant to the present. In my first example, the speaker may not be intending to run any more today, but the fact that he has recently been reading is directly relevant to the fact that he's sweating. In the second example, the person being addressed may not be expected to drink any more today, but the fact that he may have been drinking is directly relevant to the fact that he seems drunk. In the third example, the person has stopped driving, having arrived at his destination, but the fact that he has been driving all morning is relevant to the present sense of relief that he's expressing.

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  • i need 3rd point to be clarified
    – Sunil K
    Dec 17, 2017 at 16:34
  • I've edited my answer to make clear how, despite having started and finished in the past, the activities are relevant to the present.
    – rjpond
    Dec 17, 2017 at 16:39
  • thanks Rjpond, also remove the first paragraph which makes confusion to other readers
    – Sunil K
    Dec 17, 2017 at 16:43
  • OK, no problem.
    – rjpond
    Dec 17, 2017 at 17:14
  • i better explain the second example, “you seem drinker, have been drinking “? here, since the person asking the drinker who was drinking previously but no more now but asked based on the appearance of the drinker, he asked at the present moment. @ rhpond, am i right?
    – Sunil K
    Dec 17, 2017 at 18:52

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