to make something for several months

[MiaL]

Hi,

can I use the above structure to tell that "it takes several months to make sth". I prefer the structure I have just mentioned, but still I would like to know if the first structure is correct.

Thank you for helping me

Mia

[MrPedantic]

Hello Mia

1. I've been making a model ship for several months.
2. It took me several months to make that model ship.

#1 tells you about the activity as a whole; #2 tells you specifically about its time frame.

So it seems to me that your first structure has a different purpose from the second. Nonetheless, the listener/reader can infer the second from the first.

MrP

[MiaL]

What about if I talk about an activity in general (e.g. It takes several months to make a model ship)? Can I still say "We make one ship for several months"?

Mia

[MrPedantic]

Hello MiaL

<Can I still say "We make one ship for several months"?>

Unfortunately not; but you can convey the sense of how long it takes by saying e.g.

1. We make one ship every two months.

Bye
MrP

[MiaL]

Thank you for your answer.

What about if I say "We make one ship for months and months". Does it make any difference?

Mia

Mia

[MrPedantic]

Hello Mia

It may be that the verb "make" is the problem here. To my ears, it doesn't have enough sense of "continuousness" in the present tense, for the meaning you intend.

But you might say e.g.

1. We work on the one ship for several months.
2. We work on the one ship for months and months.

MrP