1. Aren’t you about to finish with the dishes? You (wash) the dishes for thirty minutes or more. How...

Aren’t you about to finish with the dishes? You have been washing the dishes for thirty minutes or more. How long can it take you to wash the dishes?

In this sentence, the present perfect continuous tense "have been washing" is used to emphasize the duration of an activity that started in the past and is still ongoing or has recently stopped. The speaker is expressing surprise or impatience that the task is taking so long.

We have been going to the Steak House restaurant many times. The food is excellent.

Here, the present perfect continuous tense "have been going" indicates a repeated action that began in the past and continues up to the present. The speaker is emphasizing the frequency of their visits to the restaurant and their ongoing appreciation of its food.

A: What is that sound? B: A car alarm is ringing somewhere down the street. It is driving me crazy — I wish it would stop! It has been ringing for more than twenty minutes.

In the dialogue:

• "Is ringing" is the present continuous tense, used to describe an action happening right now.
• "Is driving" is also in the present continuous tense, indicating an ongoing action affecting the speaker's state of mind.
• "Has been ringing" is the present perfect continuous tense, used to show that the action started in the past and has been happening up to the present moment, highlighting its duration.

Can you translate this note from Stockholm? I understood Swedish when I was a child, but I have forgotten it all.

• "Was" is in the simple past tense, referring to a specific time in the past when the speaker was a child.
• "Have forgotten" is in the present perfect tense, indicating a past action with relevance to the present situation; the speaker no longer remembers Swedish.

What’s that dent in the side of the car? Have you had an accident?

The present perfect tense "have had" is used here to ask about a possible recent event that has a visible consequence in the present (the dent in the car).

I’m sorry, John’s not here; he has gone to the dentist. He has been having trouble with a tooth for some time.

• "Has gone" is in the present perfect tense, indicating that John went to the dentist and is still there or has only recently left.
• "Has been having" is in the present perfect continuous tense, used to describe an ongoing problem that started in the past and continues up to the present.

Your Italian is very good. Have you been studying it long?

The present perfect continuous tense "have been studying" is used to ask about the duration of an activity (studying Italian) that began in the past and continues into the present.

It can take me a long time to wash the dishes because I am meticulous and like to make sure they are thoroughly clean. Sometimes I get distracted and end up spending more time than necessary on this task.

We have been to the Steak House restaurant many times because we enjoy the excellent food they serve. It has become one of our favorite dining spots.

The car alarm has been ringing for more than twenty minutes and it is driving me crazy. I wish it would stop soon because the noise is very irritating.

I can try to translate the note from Stockholm for you. I used to understand Swedish when I was a child, but I have since forgotten it. It may take me some time to remember the language and accurately translate the note.

The dent in the side of the car may have been caused by an accident. It is important to be careful while driving to avoid such incidents in the future.

John is not here because he has gone to the dentist. He has been experiencing trouble with a tooth for some time now, which is why he needed to seek professional help.

My Italian is very good because I have been studying it for a long time. I have put in a lot of effort to learn the language and improve my skills.