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IMG Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
past perf. continuous?
Hello! I am asking you to clarify the way of saying the following:
[It was 10 years ago. I took swimming classes. It took me two years, and then I did not go there anymore].
So, can we say: "I have been taking swimming classes for two years 10 years ago"?
Or "I had been taking..."?
I'm confused, because according to that grammar that I learnt present perf.cont. refers to the present (not our case), and past perf. cont. needs a sort of interruption (not our case).
And the construction "for two years" in my opinion needs one of those times.
Please help me.
[It was 10 years ago. I took swimming classes. It took me two years, and then I did not go there anymore].
So, can we say: "I have been taking swimming classes for two years 10 years ago"?
Or "I had been taking..."?
I'm confused, because according to that grammar that I learnt present perf.cont. refers to the present (not our case), and past perf. cont. needs a sort of interruption (not our case).
And the construction "for two years" in my opinion needs one of those times.
Please help me.
Top answer
Use the present perfect continuous to indicate that what you have been doing is going on at the moment : I have been reading for an hour now. Use the past perfect continuous to indicate an action that you were doing when something else happened : I had been reading for an hour when the phone rang . CB
- Use the present perfect continuous to indicate that what you have been doing is going on at the moment : I have been reading for an hour now.
- Use the past perfect continuous to indicate an action that you were doing when something else happened : I had been reading for an hour when the phone rang .
- CB
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4 Answers
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Use the present perfect continuous to indicate that what you have been doing is going on at the moment: I have been reading for an hour now.
Use the past perfect continuous to indicate an action that you were doing when something else happened: I had been reading
Use the past perfect continuous to indicate an action that you were doing when something else happened: I had been reading
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Yes, I know this rule, but still I can't understand how to say that sentence that I wrote in my first message.
I had been taking swimming classes for two years ten years ago? - it seems like this one is wrong.
"I was taking swimming classes for two years ten years ago."?
"I took swimming classes for two years ten years ago."?
I had been taking swimming classes for two years ten years ago? - it seems like this one is wrong.
"I was taking swimming classes for two years ten years ago."?
"I took swimming classes for two years ten years ago."?
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IMG"I took swimming classes for two years ten years ago."?OK. (You sure are a slow learner!
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