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Zil Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

To express historical facts that are no longer true

Hi,

I'd like to know if I can use the present perfect tense to express historical facts that are no longer true. I understand we could use the simple past to convey that meaning.

I lived there;
I have lived there, but now I am here. (experiential perfect)

thank you very much!
  

Top answer

You can. I have lived in China, Estonia, Germany, Lebanon, Turkey and the Czech reublic.

  • You can.
  • I have lived in China, Estonia, Germany, Lebanon, Turkey and the Czech reublic.
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5 Answers
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You can. I have lived in China, Estonia, Germany, Lebanon, Turkey and the Czech reublic.
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Thank you for your quick response, Mr. Fivejedjon! I've been following your answers to the tense questions!! Big fan!!

I just want to double check.
I am referring to expressing the sense of historical facts that are no longer true, not the facts per se.

e.g.

- Do you still live in Paris?
- No, I lived there.

Can I also say "No, I have. I live in London n
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OK:

- Do you still live in Paris?
- No I don't. / No, I moved to London a month ago.
ZilCan I say "she has been shy but now she is very out-going"?
The present perfect is not natural in that sentence. You need to use the simple past.

As a child, she was shy, but now she is very outgoing.




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AlpheccaStars- Do you still live in Paris?- No I don't. / No, I moved to London a month ago.
Ok, thank you AlpheccaStars!! You are saying neither "I lived in Paris" nor "I have lived in Paris" could be the choice, right?

Sometimes I hear people would answer a question like:

- "Are you a musician? You know so much about classical music! "
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ZilI've always been wondering if I could answer similar questions with "I have".
The answer follows the question:

A: Have you ever lived in Paris?
B: Yes I have. I lived in Montmarte in the 1980s.
A: Are you still living in Paris?
B: No, I'm not. I've never lived there. Maybe you are thinking about my brother who lived in Paris when he w

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