'have done' and 'have been doing'
hello !
i have got a question studying present perfect and present perfect continuous.

In Grammar in Use intermediate I read;
'have done' is used for an activity that continues from the past until now (and can be unfinished too)
and 'have been doing' is also used for an activity that stopped recently or just now, right?? Reading it, still I am not sure what's the difference!
Can anyone explain the difference clearly?

And can they have a same meaning too?
For example, Can I change 'How long have you been studying English?'
into 'How long have you studied English'?

thanks in advance =D

Question

'have done' and 'have been doing'
hello !
i have got a question studying present perfect and present perfect continuous.

In Grammar in Use intermediate I read;
'have done' is used for an activity that continues from the past until now (and can be unfinished too)
and 'have been doing' is also used for an activity that stopped recently or just now, right?? Reading it, still I am not sure what's the difference!
Can anyone explain the difference clearly?

And can they have a same meaning too?
For example, Can I change 'How long have you been studying English?'
into 'How long have you studied English'?

thanks in advance =D

Answer

"Have done" is used where something has got finished.
(How long have you studied English?).........Present perfect. 
It means that studying English has finished now.
" Have been doing" is used where something is still continuous from the past.
(How long have you been studying English?).........Present perfect continuous.

Answer

deep blue's answer is correct.  I would have to say here, though, that most native English speakers wouldn't be able to tell you the difference.  Most people I know would take the two sentences to mean pretty much the same thing.  That doesn't mean that you shouldn't.