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It's clear that we should use Present perfect when we want to show that an action is completed and we have some result. It is also clear that we should use Present perfect continuous when we want to talk about a process and not about a result. For example

I have repaired my bike. (bike is repaired)

and

I have been repairing my bike. (we don't know if bike is repaired)

But there are cases when an action doesn't imply any result. For example

Has it rained this week?

and

Has it been raining this week?

Here we see the action "to rain" and it doesn't imply any result here. Do I understand correctly that the only possible difference in the meaning is that in the 1st case the action is not continuous (it started on Monday and finished on Tuesday) and in the 2nd case the action is continuous (it started on Monday and continuous until now) ? Or do we have some other possible differences in the meaning?

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  • Result does not always have to result from an action. Results can also emerge from an inaction, too. For instance, "Not having any rain" is still a result. It is a result of "not condensation of water droplets in the clouds."
    – yunus
    Feb 16 at 23:03

1 Answer 1

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The present perfect would be true in this case if rain had fallen even once that week. It simply addresses whether or not there has been any rain.

Using the present perfect continuous implies that the rains were regular, periodic, or perhaps even continuous (non-stop) during that same time. It addresses not just the fact that there has been some rain, but that it has continued to rain, i.e. the rains have come more than once.

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