verb forms

[4ania4]

Dear Teachers,

is there a difference in the meaning between the following sentences?

The site has helped to launch international singing careers, played a role in election campaigns and cheered up millions of users who have been logging to watch everything from giggling babies to skateboarding ducks.

The site has helped launch international singing careers, played a role in election campaigns and cheered up millions of users who have logged to watch everything from giggling babies to skateboarding ducks.

Thank you very much in advance.

 

[4ania4]

Could you also answer the above question with the reference to the following pair of sentences?

In 2010 24 hours of video are now being uploaded every minute.

In 2010 24 hours of video are now uploaded every minute.

Thank you so much.

 

[4ania4]

I've got one more pair of sentences I want to ask the same question.

Now the site is being excavated and it is scientists who are hoping they can learn something. They are going to use their knowledge of the original meal to try out new archaeological techniques to see whether they match.

Now the site is being excavated and it is scientists who are hoping they can learn something. They will use their knowledge of the original meal to try out new archaeological techniques to see whether they match.

Thank you again.

I think it's the last pair today. :-?

 

[5jj]

One at a time:

is there a difference in (the) meaning between the following sentences?

The site has helped to launch international singing careers [...] and cheered up millions of users who have been logging to watch everything from [...] to [...].

The site has helped to launch international singing careers [...] and cheered up millions of users who have logged in to watch everything from [...] to [...].

1. Help is different from most other verbs followed by a to-infinitive in that the to can be, and often is, omitted, especially in conversation.

2. Have been logging in and have logged in: the former may suggest that people are still logging in, the latter that no more logging in is taking place, but I think that this difference might not be important for some speakers.

 

[5jj]

On to the next pair:

In 2010 24 hours of video are now being uploaded every minute.

In 2010 24 hours of video are now uploaded every minute.

Because the progressive (continuous) aspect is often used to emphasise the duration of an activity, the first sentence may convey some impression of a lot of activity. The second may be a more neutral presentation of the fact. I write 'may', because this is another of the situations when there could be no great difference in practical terms.

Incidentally, both sentences sound a little odd with both 'in 2010' and 'now'.

 

[5jj]

As nobody else has joined in, I'll move on to the last pair:

[...] They are going to use their knowledge of the original meal [...]t
[...] They will use their knowledge of the original meal [...]

There is sometimes a difference between will and BE going to, though this is more often less vital that some course books suggest. There is no significant difference between the meanings of your two sentences.