How are they different?

[optimistic pessimist]

Hi everyone! Happy New Year!

I'd like to aske the difference between the two sentences below.

1. I have been practicing piano for ten years, but I'm still not good at it.
2. I have practiced piano for ten years, but I'm still not good at it.

The difference between "present perfect progressive" and "present perfect" is still confusing to me.


Thank you!

OP

 

[DougLewis]

Hi everyone! Happy New Year!

I'd like to aske the difference between the two sentences below.

1. I have been practicing piano for ten years, but I'm still not good at it.
2. I have practiced piano for ten years, but I'm still not good at it.

The difference between "present perfect progressive" and "present perfect" is still confusing to me.


Thank you!

OP

# 2 - I practiced piano for ten years... might be better.

# 2 - Does not give the idea about which 10 years.

# 1 - Gives the idea you are talking about the past ten years until the present.

 

[omasta]

Hi everyone! Happy New Year!

I'd like to aske the difference between the two sentences below.

1. I have been practicing piano for ten years, but I'm still not good at it.
2. I have practiced piano for ten years, but I'm still not good at it.

The difference between "present perfect progressive" and "present perfect" is still confusing to me.


Thank you!

OP

Hi!

See: A Practical English Grammar by Thomson and Martinet, entry 192:

Comparison of the present perfect simple and continuous.

 

[jayan12]

Hi everyone! Happy New Year!

I'd like to aske the difference between the two sentences below.

1. I have been practicing piano for ten years, but I'm still not good at it.
2. I have practiced piano for ten years, but I'm still not good at it.

The difference between "present perfect progressive" and "present perfect" is still confusing to me.


Thank you!

OP

Not a teacher.

I have been practicing piano for ten years: You started the process ten years back and will continue it in the future too.


I have practiced piano for ten years: You started the process ten years back and have finished it by now and no longer you are going to practice it.

 

[kannanvv07]

1. I have been practicing piano for ten years:
2. I have practiced piano for ten years:

The first sentence is of Present Perfect Continuous tense and it says that you are still practicing piano
The second sentence is of Present Perfect tense and it means that you practiced piano for ten years in the past. It doesn't say anything about the time. Moreover, it's clear that you are not practicing it now.

Happy New Year

 

[Kondorosi]

Hi everyone! Happy New Year!

I'd like to aske the difference between the two sentences below.

1. I have been practicing piano for ten years, but I'm still not good at it.
2. I have practiced piano for ten years, but I'm still not good at it.

The difference between "present perfect progressive" and "present perfect" is still confusing to me.


Thank you!

OP

My 0.02 dollars 'orth of:

I think it is very important to note that the nature of the adverbial complement, and the presence or the lack thereof significantly influence the meaning of the verb phrase. In #2, the so-called habitual present perfect refers to past events (instances of practice) that leads up to and including the present. I practised the piano in the past and I am practising the piano in the present. In #1, the combined perfect progressive aspect with the 'for ten years' adverbial phrase conveys the same idea to me, only here I am more inclined to assume that the practising will continue well into the future.

 

[omasta]

Hi everyone! Happy New Year!

I'd like to aske the difference between the two sentences below.

1. I have been practicing piano for ten years, but I'm still not good at it.
2. I have practiced piano for ten years, but I'm still not good at it.

The difference between "present perfect progressive" and "present perfect" is still confusing to me.


Thank you!

OP

Hi!

I'm not a teacher.

1. I have been practicing piano for ten years, but I'm still not good at it.
2. I have practiced piano for ten years, but I'm still not good at it.

In my opinion, in both sentences the meaning is generally the same and the reason for that is the time phrase 'for ten years'. Without the 'for ten years' the sentence " I have practiced piano for ten years, but I'm still not good at it" would mean a single completed action.

At the same time one can remove the time phrase 'for ten years' from the sentence "I have been practicing piano for ten years, but I'm still not good at it" without changing the meaning. It still means that the practicing piano began in the past and is still continuing.

 

[Kondorosi]

At the same time one can remove the time phrase 'for ten years' from the sentence "I have been practicing piano for ten years, but I'm still not good at it" without changing the meaning. It still means that the practicing piano began in the past and is still continuing.

That is, however, not true with accomplishment predications. The semantic category of verbs also matters. I have been cleaning the windows all morning. There is a possibility of incompleteness here. The cleaning may continue into the future or may not.

Circumstances can affect the meaning too. See this:

- You are all sweat. What's up?
- I have been running (not running now).