Which Perfect aspect should be used: "I’ve read / been reading this page three times already…”? [closed]

Question

I’ve been reading this page three times already, but I still don’t understand it.

Or

I’ve read this page three times already, but I still don’t understand it.

Is the action in progress or is it finished?

Answer 1

While no one would really misunderstand you, the second one is the one native English speakers would use. "I've been reading" typically suggests an incomplete or in-progress reading of the page, whereas "I have read" has no room for ambiguity that the page was read entirely.

"Been reading" sounds odd then when used to refer to a single page, since one page could be typically read in a very short time. Applied to a book or something longer than a few pages would sound more natural to a native speaker, as you might only be part way though that piece of literature at the time of the discussion.

If you have read a single page you don't understand you can also say it like this: "I've tried reading this page 3 times already, but I still don’t understand it."