Present Perfect with Lengths of Time – Lesson 4

so we know we can use present perfect
with experiences until now right well
how do we use it with lengths of time
well the same applies in a question
which asks how long if that action still
continues now you use present perfect if
not past simple let me give you an
example
oh you study English cool how long she
wants to say I study English five years
still continues now remember still
continues now so present perfect what’s
the sentence now we have two options
here we could say I have studied or I
have been studying for five years five
years ago until now studying English
still continues present perfect again we
can use two options here present perfect
simple or continuous we explain the
difference between those in the next
video but first let’s look at another
example for example for one month
she studied Italian she does not study
Italian now it finished and started in
the past so what could she say present
perfect or past simple of course in this
case she uses past simple because that
month happened in the past and it’s a
finished time it doesn’t continue now so
this is me Ali and in my life my job is
a teacher and I want to say I’m still a
teacher now the length of time is nine
years what can I swallow nine years is a
long time Jesus Christ ah
anyway what’s my sentence me teacher
nine years still continues now easy
right it still continues now I have been
teaching or I have taught English for
nine years
god damn it so long and before teaching
my job was in an office for one year how
can I say that of course that time was
finished I don’t work in an office now
so I worked in an office for one year
and your next question yes this is in
continuous so we could make this past
continuous I was working in an office
for one year that’s fine too another
example and now comes the part of our
story it gets a little bit sad ah so
this next example is quite sad but
you’ll probably remember afterwards so
in this case the guy has a dog and she
wants to know how long have you had a
dog compare this with how long did you
have a dog past simple because the dog
has gone to puppy heaven so to compare
the two
this one the dog is still there he still
has the dog yay how long have you had a
dog this one the dog is dead how long
did you have a dog passed simple because
he doesn’t have a dog now it was only in
the past I’m sorry a super common
mistake with this I see it very often is
with since and for let me give you an
example for example this one I worked
there since 2010 until 2012 now yes
since gives the reference of time but
it’s a reference of time in the past
which still continues now so if you use
since you must have a present perfect
which means you must have a present
perfect situation so for this it doesn’t
work because that’s not this year so for
this sentence don’t use since use from I
worked there from past eight to or until
past date just to remember since is a
past date until now so let’s use my
example again
I have been teaching since 2007 I’m
still a teacher now so it’s okay to use
since so since gives the time reference
in the past 2007 if I want to give the
length of time I must use for so the
full sentence I have been teaching since
2007 or I have been teaching for nine
years that is ridiculous my god if a
couple are still together she could say
I’ve been dating Harry Styles for one
year but if they break up then now they
are not together and dating happen in
the past it doesn’t continue now she
wants to say this how can she say it I
dated all yeah continuous I was dating
Harry Styles for one year so I hope that
all makes sense for lengths of time if
it still continues present perfect
simple or continuous if it’s finished
past simple past continuous ready for
the next lesson
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