[General] Have bought/Have had for a few years

[jiaruchan]

I have bought the furniture for a few years.
I have had the furniture for a few years.

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I know both sentences are a little weird. One could have said 'I bought the furniture a few years ago' to mean the same thing. Why not? However, those two lines are frequently used by Chinese English teachers to test if the students understand the present perfect tense. They define the first one is wrong, and the other is correct.

Is that right that we should not use 'have bought something for some time'?

 

[bhaisahab]

I have bought the furniture for a few years.
I have had the furniture for a few years.

---

I know both sentences are a little weird. One could have said 'I bought the furniture a few years ago' to mean the same thing. Why not? However, those two lines are frequently used by Chinese English teachers to test if the students understand the present perfect tense. They define the first one is wrong, and the other is correct.

Is that right that we should not use 'have bought something for some time'?

Yes, that's right, the first one is wrong and the second is correct.

 

[MASM]

I have bought the furniture for a few years.
I have had the furniture for a few years.

---

I know both sentences are a little weird. One could have said 'I bought the furniture a few years ago' to mean the same thing. Why not? However, those two lines are frequently used by Chinese English teachers to test if the students understand the present perfect tense. They define the first one is wrong, and the other is correct.

Is that right that we should not use 'have bought something for some time'?

Well, "I have bought the furniture for a few years" means that your intention is to have the furniture for a period of time ( a few years), but don't intend to have it in the future. If it's that what you want to say, then its fine..odd...but correct

However, "I have had the furniture for a few years" is that the sentence your teachers say is wrong?. Because I find it correct, it means that you had the same furniture years ago and still have it.

 

[jiaruchan]

By the way, can 'I have had the furniture for a few years' reflect the meaning 'I bought the furniture a few years ago'?

 

[bhaisahab]

By the way, can 'I have had the furniture for a few years' reflect the meaning 'I bought the furniture a few years ago'?

Yes, it can.

 

[jiaruchan]

Correct me if I am wrong:

We can use 'I have bought', but not 'I have bought for a certain time'.

For example:

wife--Let me go out to buy some tomato sauce.
husband--You don't have to. I have bought some.

In the above case, is the present perfect tense 'have bought' acceptable?

 

[bhaisahab]

Correct me if I am wrong:

We can use 'I have bought', but not 'I have bought for a certain time'.

For example:

wife--Let me go out to buy some tomato sauce.
husband--You don't have to. I have bought some.

In the above case, is the present perfect tense 'have bought' acceptable?

Yes, it's correct. You couldn't say "I have bought some for 2 hours", for example.

 

[2006]

Well, "I have bought the furniture for a few years" means that your intention is to have the furniture for a period of time ( a few years), but don't intend to have it in the future. If it's that what you want to say, then its fine..odd...but correct

There is another context in which 'I have bought the furniture for a few years.' would be correct.
In this context, the meaning is 'I have been buying the furniture for a few years.' (buying it for my company)

The grammar is the same as 'I have lived in China for a few years.'

 

[emsr2d2]

There is another context in which 'I have bought the furniture for a few years.' would be correct.
In this context, the meaning is 'I have been buying the furniture for a few years.' (buying it for my company)

The grammar is the same as 'I have lived in China for a few years.'

I would disagree with that. If your job is to buy furniture for a company, then there are 2 possibilities:

You are still doing the job: I have been buying furniture for a few years.

You used to do the job: I bought furniture for a few years.

But you couldn't use "have bought" in either case.

 

[MASM]

I would disagree with that. If your job is to buy furniture for a company, then there are 2 possibilities:

You are still doing the job: I have been buying furniture for a few years.

You used to do the job: I bought furniture for a few years.

But you couldn't use "have bought" in either case.

If you have an unpacked set of furniture from Ikea and someone asks you about it you could use "I have bought furniture for a few years" :-D

 

[emsr2d2]

If you have an unpacked set of furniture from Ikea and someone asks you about it you could use "I have bought furniture for a few years" :-D

Again, I have to disagree. I don't see what difference it makes that you have bought furniture and not unpacked it. What sort of question do you think they could ask you that would result in your given response?

 

[MASM]

Again, I have to disagree. I don't see what difference it makes that you have bought furniture and not unpacked it. What sort of question do you think they could ask you that would result in your given response?

If you see, for example, a man that has a cut in his face and you ask him, he can answer "I've cut myself shaving this morning".
I was just looking for uses of the present perfect that way. Although, I'm perfectly aware that you'd use the past simple even talking within the same day.

 

[emsr2d2]

If you see, for example, a man that has a cut in his face and you ask him, he can answer "I've cut myself shaving this morning".
I was just looking for uses of the present perfect that way. Although, I'm perfectly aware that you'd use the past simple even talking within the same day.

In your example, as far as I'm concerned, the reply would always be:

I cut myself shaving.

 

[MASM]

In your example, as far as I'm concerned, the reply would always be:

I cut myself shaving.

I was convinced I read it with I've cut myself. But, of course, you're the native and the teacher:-D

 

[2006]

I would disagree with that. If your job is to buy furniture for a company, then there are 2 possibilities:

You are still doing the job: I have been buying furniture for a few years.

You used to do the job: I bought furniture for a few years.

But you couldn't use "have bought" in either case.

why not?? (talking about the first scenario) Obviously "used to" is not compatible with "your job is to buy".

A...Who has bought the furniture recently?
B...I have bought the furniture for a few years.

As you know, present perfect here means the buying is still happening.

And how is B wrong when 'I have lived in China for a few years." is correct? The grammar is the same.