Anna
Which tense is better to use in the following example? Mary has worked as a teacher for 25 years. Mary has been working as a teacher for 25 years. Do we use for and since both in Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous? Thank you in advance.
Nov 30, 2015 5:36 PM
Answers · 7
2
They both mean the same thing, however there are differences in what people tend to use. For instance, when something is ongoing, but it is a permanent situation, we often use the present perfect : "Bob has lived here for 25 years." The present perfect continuous is often used for temporary situations. I have been working on this project for two weeks." However, this is just what is common, it is not a mandatory rule that needs to be followed.
November 30, 2015
2
These sentences are both correct, and there is no real difference in meaning between them. When you are talking about something which is an essential part of your life, such as where you have been living, what job you have been doing or what you have been studying, you can use either the present perfect simple or the present perfect continuous. You can use both 'for' and 'since' with both these tenses. For example: He's been living in London since 2010 He's been living in London for 5 years He's lived in London since 2010 He's lived in London for 5 years All of these sentences can be used to say the same information.
November 30, 2015
1
I just wanted to add that Su Ki gave really good examples of when to use the words "for" and "since." If you use the number of years in your sentence, then you use the word "for." If you use a date in your sentence, then you use "since."
November 30, 2015
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