Has/Has been using....

[Daigoro]

Hello I have two sentences and I'm not sure if they are correct. If they are wrong could you please explain why they are wrong? Thank you!

1) It has started to snow heavily for three days.

2) I have begun to learn foreign languages for six years.

 

[bhaisahab]

They are wrong.
1) It started to snow heavily three days ago.
2) I have been learning foreign languages for six years.

 

[Daigoro]

Thank you for your reply. Could you tell me why they are wrong? I'm trying to understand it a little more

 

[Raymott]

1. If it has started to snow heavily, you would have to be able to read the future to know that it would continue for three days. If it has already snowed for three days, then it hasn't just started to snow.
2. Same principle as 1.

 

[Daigoro]

Thank you for your help! I understand it now.

 

[Tdol]

1) It started to snow heavily three days ago.

You could also use It has been snowing heavily for three days.

 

[Daigoro]

Ok thanks. what about:

It has started to snow heavily from 3 days ago?[FONT=굴림체] [/FONT]

 

[Matthew Wai]

I deem it incorrect to use the present perfect as 'ago' is here, but I am not a teacher.

 

[MikeNewYork]

That sentence doesn't work.

 

[Matthew Wai]

1) It has started to snow heavily for three days.

I think it would make sense if 'and might last' was added before 'for', but I am not a teacher.

 

[davefretty]

I think it would make sense if 'and might last' was added before 'for', but I am not a teacher.

It has started to snow heavily and might last for three days.

Is indeed correct as it means it has just started to snow and you think it may last for three days from now.

When you use 'It has just started' or 'I have begun' you are using present perfect which means the action started in the past and has a connection to the present.

For example

He has written a lot of books versus He wrote a lot of books

are different the first one has a connection to the present because he still has the ability to write other books (i.e he is still alive)
but 'he wrote a lot of books' is simple past without a connection to the present because he doesn't have the ability to write more books (i.e he is dead)


****But be careful****


It has just started and I have begun

are present prefect simple so they started in the past and have a connection to the present but they also have 'just' and 'begun' so they started just a little time before you said the sentence.


'It has just started snowing'='It started to snow five minutes ago'

 

[Matthew Wai]

'he wrote a lot of books' is simple past without a connection to the present because he doesn't have the ability to write more books (i.e he is dead)

Is it possible that he is not dead but is a retired author?

 

[Matthew Wai]

1) It started to snow heavily three days ago.

I think it is possible that it started to snow three days ago and stopped snowing yesterday, in which case the following could not be used, but I am not a teacher.

You could also use It has been snowing heavily for three days.

Nowadays we tend to use 'in my opinion' or 'I think/consider/believe'.

In my opinion, 'I find' is also correct.