- Can we use since and for with past tense?
- If we can use them, then what is difference between:
- I have learnt English for 3 months
- I learnt English for 3 months
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Mari-Lou A
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vinay
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It would usually be: "I have been learning English for three months", or "I have been learning English since September" (unless you now know English, and so are no longer learning it). – Peter Shor Dec 04 '14 at 15:32
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are you saying that we should not use since and for with present perfect tense. – vinay Dec 04 '14 at 15:48
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related Is it correct to use the past simple with 'Since'? and “Has changed since March 1” vs “Changed on March 1” – Mari-Lou A Dec 04 '14 at 17:30
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possible duplicate of Proper usage of "since" and "from" with regard to duration of time Also read this short answer by @BarrieEngland and this question: When is the present perfect tense used instead of the past tense? – Mari-Lou A Dec 04 '14 at 17:31
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Finally this more detailed answer by Barrie England to the question: Is there any difference between Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous? This is what Peter Shor in the comments was referring to. – Mari-Lou A Dec 04 '14 at 17:40
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I'm saying that *for your specific example* of "to learn English", you should use the present perfect continuous. "I have learnt English since September" and "I learnt English since September" are perfectly good uses of the present perfect tense and the past tense with "since", but they both imply that you now know English, which I assume isn't what you wanted to say. – Peter Shor Dec 04 '14 at 18:18
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You should use "for" for a period of time beginning with the action until the present, and since for a moment of time from when the action first took place, e.g., I have lived here for three months or I have lived here since September.
Martin
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that you mean we should not use since and for with sentence in simple past tense – vinay Dec 04 '14 at 16:37
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You can use for with the past. "I lived there for three months" meands that I do not live there now. "From would be better than since to express the same where appropriate. – Martin Dec 04 '14 at 16:41
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so i lived there for three months & i have lived there for three months. both are correct and gives same meaning , am i right @Martin – vinay Dec 04 '14 at 16:52
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The meaning with the present perfect is that you still live there and with the simple past that you have since stopped living there. – Martin Dec 04 '14 at 16:57
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as i know(i learnt like this), to say still live there i use present perfect continuous tense (I have been living there for three months) – vinay Dec 04 '14 at 17:04
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It would be incorrect to say, "I have been living here for all my life" and better to sat "I have lived here for all my life" – Martin Dec 04 '14 at 17:12
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then it's wrong to say, i have been here for three months .when we want to say still i am staying there. am i right – vinay Dec 04 '14 at 17:20
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The use of the present perfect continuous implies a te,porary state ad the present perfect simple more of a permanent state. – Martin Dec 04 '14 at 17:28