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Old 05-Apr-2008, 19:00
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Default progressive vs perfect progressive
I am thinking about going to California. =? I've been thinking about going to California.

If not, plz tell what's the difference.
Last edited by lrk2006; 05-Apr-2008 at 20:36. Reason: typographical error
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Old 05-Apr-2008, 19:41
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Default Re: progressive vs perfect progressive
I am thinking about going to ...

is Present Progressive. You are thinking now.

I have been thinking about going to ...


is Present Perfect Progressive. You have recently or just stopped thinking. There is a connection with now. You started the activity in the past, but it has a result now.

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Old 05-Apr-2008, 19:53
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Default Re: progressive vs perfect progressive
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowcake View Post
I am thinking about going to ...

is Present Progressive. You are thinking now.

I have been thinking about going to ...


is Present Perfect Progressive. You have recently or just stopped thinking. There is a connection with now. You started the activity in the past, but it has a result now. Hi Snowcake, let me just add that in this case we are interested just in an activity, it does not matter whether it finished or not. The result does not matter either here.

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Old 05-Apr-2008, 19:55
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Default Re: progressive vs perfect progressive
dear sir,

it has been raining. (is the rain stopped now?)

it has been raining since morning. (this shows the rain is still in progress.)


so "I've been thinking about going to California." doesn't show that the process of thinking still continues?
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Old 05-Apr-2008, 20:01
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Default Re: progressive vs perfect progressive
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowcake View Post
I am thinking about going to ...

is Present Progressive. You are thinking now. Yes, you are still thinking now, but you may have started thinking about that weeks or months ago. So it can have exactly the same meaning as "have been thinking".

I have been thinking about going to ...


is Present Perfect Progressive. You have recently or just stopped thinking. No, you are still thinking. If you stopped thinking, you should say 'I had been thinking'. Regards,
Snowcake
2006
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Old 05-Apr-2008, 21:27
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Default Re: progressive vs perfect progressive
Thanks, banderas and 2006.

My fingers were faster than my brain.

However, I'd like to cite our popular Mr. Murphy (English In Use)

We use the pres. perf. progressive for an activity that has recently stopped or just stopped.

You're out of breath. Have you been running? (you're out of breath now)

Maybe it's clearer now what I meant.

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Snowcake
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Old 05-Apr-2008, 22:03
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Default Re: progressive vs perfect progressive
I am thinking about going to California.
compare
I've been thinking about going to California.

The essential difference in meaning is that the second sentence implies you have been thinking about it, weighing it up, for a much longer period of time than is implied in the first sentence. The second sentence, by the use of the tense, emphasizes that this thinking process has been over a period of time.
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