Page 223 - Easy Japanese - Learn to Speak Japanese Quickly! (TUTTLE)

Kuruma ni notte imasu. He is in the car.
Daigaku o sotsugyō-shite I have graduated from college.
imasu.

These sentences do not normally mean that you are in the middle of an action.
They all indicate the state resulted from the action.
The te-iru pattern can be either progressive and resultative and the correct
interpretation depends on the context. Study the following example.
Kōhī o nonde imasu.

Progressive: I am drinking coffee right now; I’m drinking
coffee these days.
Resultative: I have had coffee (so I’m not sleepy).

However, certain verbs in the te-iru form are normally interpreted as resultative
only. These are called “instantaneous verbs” and refer to actions that change the
status instantaneously and do not persist. These include kekkon-suru “marry”
and shiru “find out”. These instantaneous verbs in the -te-iru form usually
indicate the resultative state. Compare the following pairs.

Kekkon-shimasu. I will get married. (instantaneous action)
Kekkon-shite I’m married. (resulted state)
imasu.

Shirimashita. I found out about it. (instantaneous action)

Shitte imasu. I know it. (resulted state)

So, watch out for the difference in the meaning between the following.
Kekkon-shimasen. I will not get married.

Kekkon-shite I’m not married.
imasen.

Also, verbs of motion such as kuru, iku, and kaeru in the te-iru form normally
refer to a state. Compare the following.
Musuko wa daigaku ni ikimasu.

My son will go to college.
Musuko wa daigaku ni itte imasu.
My son has gone to college (and he is there now) or My son goes to college.
(He is currently a college student.)