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Other questions about English p.perfect

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daniel-italia
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 Message 1 of 11
08 September 2009 at 1:10pm | IP Logged 
The sentence "I've played tennis for a week" is right
Is the sentence "I've played tennis since a week ago" right too?
My question is: is it possible to use the preposition since by a period (a week) adding the adverb ago?

Edited by daniel-italia on 08 September 2009 at 1:10pm

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daniel-italia
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 Message 2 of 11
08 September 2009 at 1:14pm | IP Logged 
I add a question:
why is the sentence "since my childhood" correct?
Isn't childhood a period?
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numerodix
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 Message 3 of 11
08 September 2009 at 1:49pm | IP Logged 
daniel-italia wrote:
The sentence "I've played tennis for a week" is right

Yes, but more commonly people would say "I played tennis for a week" for something that happened at some point in the past. If you want to imply that this has *just* happened you would say "I have been playing tennis for a week".

daniel-italia wrote:
Is the sentence "I've played tennis since a week ago" right too?


No. In Italian you would say "gioco da una settimana". But in English, when you describe something that has been happening and is still happening you say "I have been playing tennis for a week".

The word "for" describes a period of time between two moments: I began a week ago, and I stopped today. Therefore, I played for a week.

You could also say "I have been playing since last week", but then you have to describe the point in time when this began, ie. "last week".

daniel-italia wrote:
My question is: is it possible to use the preposition since by a period (a week) adding the adverb ago?


Yes, you could say "I have been playing since a week ago". But this is less common and you would rather use "for a week".
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numerodix
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 Message 4 of 11
08 September 2009 at 1:51pm | IP Logged 
daniel-italia wrote:
I add a question:
why is the sentence "since my childhood" correct?
Isn't childhood a period?


It is, but in this case it actually means that the action that you are talking about started at some point in your childhood, at some moment in that period. And ever since it has been going on. So even though childhood is a period, you are referring to a moment within that period.
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daniel-italia
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 Message 5 of 11
08 September 2009 at 2:34pm | IP Logged 
numerodix wrote:
daniel-italia wrote:
The sentence "I've played tennis for a week" is right

If you want to imply that this has *just* happened you would say "I have been playing tennis for a week".


So,
I should say "I have been playing tennis for two years"
BUT I can
"I've played tennis since 2007"


Edited by daniel-italia on 08 September 2009 at 3:14pm

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numerodix
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 Message 6 of 11
08 September 2009 at 3:10pm | IP Logged 
Yes, that's right.
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daniel-italia
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 Message 7 of 11
08 September 2009 at 3:26pm | IP Logged 
but what sentence would be better:
"I've felt really tired for a whole week now"
or
"I've been feeling really tired for a whole week now?"
I found the first sentence in a English grammar book among the examples of "FOR AND SINCE"

Edited by daniel-italia on 08 September 2009 at 3:27pm

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numerodix
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 Message 8 of 11
08 September 2009 at 3:44pm | IP Logged 
daniel-italia wrote:
but what sentence would be better:
"I've felt really tired for a whole week now"
or
"I've been feeling really tired for a whole week now?"
I found the first sentence in a English grammar book among the examples of "FOR AND SINCE"


Both are correct and mean the same thing. It's your choice which one you want to use.


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