There is also the form "be + adjective" and the closely related "be + past participle" (the passive voice).
So the verb "to marry" has two senses
- Jon marries Mary.
- The priest marries Jon and Mary.
These both relate to an act, not a state.
If I want to talk about the state I need the adjective "married" (which comes from the past participle or marry). There are two ways of using the adjective.
- Jon is married to Mary
- Jon and Mary are married.
If I want to use this in the "until now" sense, I need to use the present perfect:
Jon has been married to Mary for 5 years.
Now, "has been marrying" is also correct grammar. Remember the priest?
The priest has been marrying couples for 5 years.
It means that the priest has been performing ceremonies for 5 years. (it could also mean one ceremony has lasted for 5 years, but that seems impossible, so I don't even consider that as a possible meaning)