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Holiveratton Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
Simple past, present perfect or present perfect continuous?
Hi everyone,
I can't decide which tense to use in the following statement:
Three years ago, I worked - have worked - have been working for one year
I think the right tense is simple past, "worked", isn't it? For the action lasted one year and that year finished and the action itself finished, as well.
Thank you and bye!
Holiver
I can't decide which tense to use in the following statement:
Three years ago, I worked - have worked - have been working for one year
I think the right tense is simple past, "worked", isn't it? For the action lasted one year and that year finished and the action itself finished, as well.
Thank you and bye!
Holiver
Top answer
holiveratton I think the right tense is simple past, " worked ", isn't it? [Y] Some may not like the comma after ago. I would probably omit it as well.
- holiveratton I think the right tense is simple past, " worked ", isn't it?
- [Y] Some may not like the comma after ago.
- I would probably omit it as well.
- CB
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7 Answers
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holiverattonI think the right tense is simple past, "worked", isn't it?Right you are, Holiver![Y] Some may not like the comma after ago. I would probably omit it as well.
CB
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Hi,
Three years ago I worked for one year.
To me, this sounds like an odd thing to say. It's probably because it's unclear to me whether the period of one year finished three years ago, or started three years ago. It's the kind of thing that a native speaker would probably say another way.
Clive
Three years ago I worked for one year.
To me, this sounds like an odd thing to say. It's probably because it's unclear to me whether the period of one year finished three years ago, or started three years ago. It's the kind of thing that a native speaker would probably say another way.
Clive
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Why unclear?
Three years ago (I started working and) I worked for one year (so I finished working two years ago). It sounds good to my ears! Any native speakers?
Three years ago (I started working and) I worked for one year (so I finished working two years ago). It sounds good to my ears! Any native speakers?
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holiverattonWhy unclear?
Three years ago (I started working and) I worked for one year (so I finished working two years ago). It sounds good to my ears! Any native speakers?
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Oh, yes of course the statement goes on, but they're just little details which shouldn't change in any way the wording I thought about ("worked").
Thank you
Thank you
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Clive It's the kind of thing that a native speaker would probably say another way.Hi Clive
Even many nonnative/non-native
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