are / have been

[goodstudent]

1) Many companies have been using this product/method to improve their business.
2) Many companies are using this product/method to improve their business.

Which one is correct? What are the differences?

Thanks.

(the companies are still using this product/method now)

 

[probus]

They are both correct. "They are" means that they are doing so right now. "They have been" admits multiple possibilities: 1) they have been and still are doing so, and 2) they have been doing so but have since ceased (unlikely but grammatical, and 3) they have been doing so but are considering stopping.

 

[MikeNewYork]

They are both correct. "They are" means that they are doing so right now. "They have been" admits multiple possibilities: 1) they have been and still are doing so, and 2) they have been doing so but have since ceased (unlikely but grammatical, and 3) they have been doing so but are considering stopping.

For me, if the companies have stopped using the product/method "had been using" would be more common.

 

[goodstudent]

For me, if the companies have stopped using the product/method "had been using" would be more common.

So "have been using" usually means that the companies are still using the product/method now?

 

[5jj]

Not necessarily. Only context can make this clear.

 

[Matthew Wai]

For me, if the companies have stopped using the product/method "had been using" would be more common.

In this post, Barb_D said "You need some other act in the past to use the past perfect." Then what "other act in the past" is needed to say "had been using"? May it be "had been using the product/method before switching to another"?

 

[MikeNewYork]

In this post, Barb_D said "You need some other act in the past to use the past perfect." Then what "other act in the past" is needed to say "had been using"? May it be "had been using the product/method before switching to another"?

The other act in the past was "ceased using".

"Had been using".
Then "stopped using".