Present perfect simple or continuous (B1+): how to talk about life since moving to the country or the city

To say how a move has changed someone’s life, use two forms of the present perfect. The simple form presents a finished experience or result: “I’ve already joined a choir.” The continuous shows an activity still going on or repeating: “I’ve been sleeping much better.” Add for, since or all for duration; use the past simple with a finished time. This B1+ (intermediate plus) guide is for adults who know the present perfect but hesitate over been + -ing.

Who this is for

Intermediate adults who can form the present perfect but are never sure whether to add been + -ing.
People who talk about life changes in English: a move, a new job or routine, or a chat with new neighbours or colleagues.
Learners who want to compare two situations fairly, with whereas, while and it depends on.
Too early: if the present perfect itself is new, start with a B1 post about a recent experience that uses the present perfect and the past simple.
Too easy: if you already choose between the two forms without thinking, move on to B2 and use them in a personal email that replies to a friend’s news.

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Word cards

have/has been + -ing

Affirmative: I’ve been working. Negative: I haven’t been working. Question: Have you been working? Short answers: Yes, I have. No, she hasn’t.

Maya has been repairing the gate. Has Owen been helping? Yes, he has.

repeated recent actions

Use the continuous for repeated recent actions, often with recently or lately.

The hens have been escaping recently, and we’ve been seeing more deer lately.

visible present result

A recent activity can explain evidence visible now.

Your boots are muddy because you’ve been walking beside the stream.

for and since

Use for + a period or since + a starting point for an action continuing until now.

They’ve been restoring the cottage for six months. She’s been working there since March.

all + time

Use all day, all morning, or all week without for.

It’s been raining all morning.

non-action verbs use the simple

Use the present perfect simple with states such as know, believe, own, like, and have.

We’ve owned this field for years, not ‘We’ve been owning this field.’

finished time uses past simple

Use the past simple when a finished past time is stated.

I’ve been fixing the tractor lately, but I repaired the wheel yesterday.

live and work: either perfect form

With duration, live and work can normally use either present perfect form without changing the basic meaning.

I’ve lived here for five years. I’ve been living here for five years.

Hannah: city to country

Hannah moved from a busy city flat to a cottage eight months ago for affordable workspace and quieter mornings.

She has been growing vegetables, walking more, and helping at the village hall. She misses late buses, specialist shops, and spontaneous evenings with friends.

Callum: country to city

Callum moved from a remote farmhouse to a city apartment six months ago to shorten his commute and meet more people.

He has joined a choir and has been visiting museums after work. He misses wildlife, open views, and peace and quiet.

Conversation

hannah I’ve lived in the cottage for eight months, and I’ve been sleeping much better.

callum I’ve been living in the city since October, but I still miss quiet mornings.

hannah Have you enjoyed anything more than you expected?

callum Yes. I’ve already joined a choir, and lately I’ve been staying out after work.

hannah I’ve had the opposite change. I spend more time outdoors, but I haven’t seen some friends for months.

callum Neither place is simply better. It depends on the problem the move needs to solve.

Language pattern

What has Hannah enjoyed, and what has she been missing?

She has enjoyed having more space, and she’s been walking every day. However, she has been missing convenient transport and unplanned social evenings.

Use the simple form for accumulated experiences or states and the continuous for ongoing or repeated activity.

Since moving…
For the last six months…
Whereas…
The countryside offers…, but the city provides…

More practice

A village that chose essential work

Maya and Owen stand on a rural path overlooking fields, farm buildings, animals, a stream, and wooded hills.

Mereford’s council first tried to attract weekend visitors by restoring an old mill as a museum. Visitor numbers rose briefly, but the only grocery shop still closed, and two families left when the primary school reduced its hours. The museum had improved the village’s image without solving daily problems.

A group of residents then proposed a different order of priorities. Instead of advertising Mereford more widely, they converted an empty farmhouse into three rental flats for a nurse, a teacher, and an agricultural mechanic. Rent from the flats helped reopen the shop as a cooperative, and the mechanic began sharing expensive equipment with nearby farms.

The project has been operating for four years. The village has not become a major destination, but school enrolment has stabilized, the cooperative has been supplying older residents, and six young adults have returned to work locally. Tourism created attention and then faded; housing tied to necessary services has produced slower but more durable change.

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Listen first: two moves in opposite directions

Hannah left a city flat for a country cottage; Callum moved from a remote farmhouse to the city. Listen for finished experiences and ongoing changes.

Hannah I’ve lived in the cottage for eight months, and I’ve been sleeping much better.

Callum I’ve been living in the city since October, but I still miss quiet mornings.

Hannah Have you enjoyed anything more than you expected?

Callum Yes. I’ve already joined a choir, and lately I’ve been staying out after work.

Simple or continuous: what each form tells the listener

Both forms link the past to now. Choose by what you want to stress:

Simple for a completed experience or result, often with already, yet or ever: “I’ve already joined a choir.”
Simple for numbers and amounts: “I’ve walked to the village three times this week.”
Continuous for a change still in progress: “I’ve been sleeping much better.”
Continuous for repeated recent actions, with lately or recently: “Lately I’ve been staying out after work.”
Continuous for evidence you can see now: “Your boots are muddy because you’ve been walking beside the stream.”
Form: have/has been + -ing. “She has been repairing the gate. Has he been helping? Yes, he has.”

For, since and all: how long a change has lasted

When something started in the past and continues now, use a present perfect form, not the present simple:

For + a period, since + a starting point: “They’ve been restoring the cottage for six months. She’s been working there since March.”
All + a time phrase, without for: “It’s been raining all morning.”
For how long something has not happened, use the simple form: “I haven’t seen some friends for months.”

Limits on the continuous

The continuous is not always possible:

State verbs such as know, believe, own and like stay simple: “We’ve owned this field for years.” Avoid “We’ve been owning this field.”
A finished time needs the past simple: “I’ve been fixing the tractor lately, but I repaired the wheel yesterday.” The move itself is finished: “We moved here in March.”
Live and work are an exception: with a duration, either form works.

Words and linkers for comparing city and country life

Gains and losses are personal: attribute them to one person, not to all cities or villages.

The country is any area outside towns and cities; the countryside is the rural landscape: “She lives in the country and enjoys the surrounding countryside.”
Country gains: peace and quiet, wildlife, space. City gains: late buses, specialist shops, a shorter commute.
Contrast with whereas or while: “She has been walking every day, whereas he has been visiting museums after work.”
Balance two places: “The countryside offers peace and quiet, but the city provides late buses and specialist shops.”

Learn this unit your way

Interview, advise and discuss

Ask about experiences and ongoing changes, then base advice on each person’s priorities: “It depends on the problem the move needs to solve.”

Ask: “How long have you been living there?”
Advice: “If quiet mornings matter most, I’d stay. If you miss your friends, could you divide your time?”
Discuss: “Is a quiet life something you find in a place, or something you create yourself?”
Discuss: “Now that many people can work online, should more of them move out of big cities?”

Common mistakes

Check what you say and write:

“I live here since October.” Say “I’ve lived here since October.”
“I’ve lived here since six months.” Say “for six months” or “since March”.
“We have moved here in March.” Say “We moved here in March.”
“I’ve been joining a choir.” One completed step is simple: “I’ve joined a choir.”

A 10-minute daily routine

Use your own changes: a move, a job, a habit.

2 minutes: repeat the conversation, stressing the main words and keeping have, has and been light.
3 minutes: say three things you have done since a recent change and three you have been doing.
3 minutes: compare two periods of your life with whereas.
2 minutes: answer one discussion question aloud with a reason.

What comes next

Next at B1+, describe a tool when you cannot remember its name, or revisit a professional profile. For the basics, write a B1 post about a recent experience or compare two options on the same criteria. At B2, use both forms in an email replying to a friend’s news.

Frequently asked questions

When do you use the present perfect continuous?

For an activity still going on, repeated recent actions and visible evidence: “Your boots are muddy because you’ve been walking beside the stream.” For results, amounts and states, use the simple form.

Is it for or since?

For takes a period (for six months); since takes a starting point (since March, since moving). With all day or all morning, leave out for.

Can you say “I have been living here”?

Yes. With live and work, both forms are normal with a duration: “I’ve lived here for five years.” “I’ve been living here for five years.” The continuous can sound more temporary.