The massive and rapid flow of information over the internet has played a key role

[farhankhan2007]

Hello all,

Could someone please explain me what is the difference between these senstences?

1) The massive and rapid flow of information over the internet has played a key role in this tranformation.

2) The massive and rapid flow of information over the internet has been playing a key role in this tranformation.

The author of this book has used the first sentence and I was thinking what difference would it make ifwe use the second one?
As I understand the first one is present peefect and the second one is present perfect continious.

I think used "has played" because if he had used "has been playing" he would have had to add a time frame like since or past few months/years?

 

[bhaisahab]

Yes, or 'recently'.

 

[farhankhan2007]

Would this sentence have meant the same if he had used "has been"?
I am guessing here that "have played" means at some point in the past until now it has been palying that role.
Please correct me if I am wrong, as I am not a native speaker so do not have that much of understanding.

 

[jutfrank]

No, it wouldn't be necessary to add a timeframe if you used the continuous form.

The short answer to your question is that it is not appropriate to use the continuous form because there is no reason to do so. We use present perfect continuous to emphasise two things:

1) a continuous nature of the verb
2) a repetitive nature of the verb

There is no reason to emphasise either in this example.

 

[jutfrank]

Would this sentence have meant the same if he had used "has been"?.

No. The verb phrase is play a key role. You can't say be a key role.

You could say be a key factor, however.

 

[Rover_KE]

The author of this book ...

What book? What author?

 

[farhankhan2007]

Official (ISC) guide to the CISSP CBK fourth edition.
Edited by Adam Gordon.
Page 72.
In the second part where it says compliance. That is where the statement is.