Question: 'have been doing', 'have + PP' and 'have been doing something'

[Contgc]

Hi everyone,

I have this perfect tense question: "have been doing", "have + PP" and "have been + PP", now I know that "have been doing something" is used for describing how long an activity has lasted, it focuses on the amount of time the activity has lasted. or something happened just recently like "I have been thinking about changing my ride"

But sometimes I see people say "We have been married for 45 years" -> why can't it be "We have been marrying for 45 years (have been + PP)" or "We have married for 45 years (have + PP)"? can someone help me with this..

[Milanya]

"We have been married for 45 years" - is correct, if you are a married couple who got married 45 years ago.
"We have been marrying (people) for 45 years" - may be correct if you are a judge or a priest who have been marrying people (conducting a marriage ceremony for different people) for 45 years.
"We have married (people) for 45 years" - may be correct if you are a judge or a priest who have been marrying people (conducting a marriage ceremony for different people) for 45 years.
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con·text - The part of a text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and determines its meaning.

[Contgc]

Pardon, it's "have been + -ing form" for the above question

[Milanya]

Can you rephrase your question?

The following verbs are usually only used in Present Perfect Simple (not in the progressive form).

state: be, have (for possession only)
Example: We have been on holiday for two weeks. ("to be married" is not an action, it is a state)

senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, touch
Example: He has touched the painting.

brain work: believe, know, think, understand
Example: I have known him for 3 years.
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro
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con·text - The part of a text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and determines its meaning.

[Belles1654]

Hi I think it's because married is a state. If you're lucky you only do the ceremony once, and so it is not a state that is ongoing. Marrying. You marry, then you are married.
So, I have been married 20 years.

Best of luck,

Belles