plz answer my question.its really important!

Leena   Mon Nov 21, 2005 9:41 am GMT
hi..im leena.I am new here.I would like to ask abt how can we use any present perfect in our spoken language.I dont really make a difference between saying (I was doing something) and I have been doing..I just want to understand it clearly.Actually not only present perfect but many sentences that contain have or has or had.I tried a lot to achieve this and understand but no benefit.Plz if any one has the explanation tries to make me understand it well.I ll really gonna appreciate all those who reply or even look at my question.
Leena.........
Saif   Mon Nov 21, 2005 11:58 am GMT
Leena: if you write your question simply and clearly it will be easier to respond.
My opinion as to the difference between 'I was doing this,' and 'I have been doing this' is that in the former I am not contininuing to do it; in the latter I still am doing it.
BTW if you drop such expressions asn 'wanna' and 'gonna' you will receive a more sympathetic hearing from people who may want to help you.
Guest   Tue Nov 22, 2005 9:31 am GMT
thanks saif for your reply.Im still cant understand the way of differenciate between present perfect,present perfect continuous,how i can use them in my daily speech.So difficult.
Saif   Tue Nov 22, 2005 12:26 pm GMT
Don't get hung up on terminolgy. Most native English speakers would have similar difficulty. No one consciously uses the present perfect or present perfect continuous in daily speech.
If you're studying grammar formally, I won't get between you and your textbooks.
If not I suggest it will be easier if you look at the contexts in which 'was doing', 'have been doing' occur and model your own sentences on these.
azzo   Tue Nov 22, 2005 4:14 pm GMT
"IWAS cooking" THIS SENTENCE DESCRIBES AN ACTION THAT HAPENED IN THE PAST AND AND IMPLYS(FROM...TO....; at that moment ) but it's over now. "i've been cooking" mean i started the action in the past and i m still doing it (from....up to now)