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Voynich Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

I have pressed the button for ten minutes

Is "I have pressed the button for ten minutes" interpreted as "Repeated presses on the button" or "ten minute-long one press on the button without detaching the finger from it"? Thanks in advance!
  

Top answer

voynich Is "I have pressed the button for ten minutes" interpreted as "Repeated presses on the button" or "ten minute-long one press on the button without detaching the finger from it"? Thanks in advance! Imagine a person istanding in front of an elevator He pressed the "call " button, and waited.

— Grammarfreak

  • voynich Is "I have pressed the button for ten minutes" interpreted as "Repeated presses on the button" or "ten minute-long one press on the button without detaching the finger from it"?
  • Thanks in advance!
  • Imagine a person istanding in front of an elevator He pressed the "call " button, and waited.
  • A minutes or two later, he looked at the button, it was lit but no elevator came to his floor.
  • So institcively, he pressed a few more times, and a few more times.
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3 Answers
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voynichIs "I have pressed the button for ten minutes" interpreted as "Repeated presses on the button" or "ten minute-long one press on the button without detaching the finger from it"? Thanks in advance!
Imagine a person istanding in front of an elevator He pressed the "call " button, and waited. A minutes or two later, he looked at the button, it was lit but
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It is often better to say "I have been pressing the button for ten minutes". This is technically ambiguous, but in typical situations would be understood to mean repeated presses over a period.
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"I have held the button down for ten minutes." This is one ten-minute-long press.
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