[Grammar] I lived somewhere... - which tense should I use?

[Skrynbez]

I have a very basic problem I fear and I completely do not know how to solve it.

I was talking with my friend not a long time ago ( also english is not his native language ), and changing subjects I wanted to tell him something about my old home.

When I started sentense I didn't know that I will momentarily stop " This city was my hometown. I lived there ... "

I stopped because I didn't know how to continue. I wanted to say (here comes mistake) something like " I lived there many years", but I didn't want to say only that, I wanted also to add how many years exactly.

And here is the thing. Should I have said " I lived there many years, maybe 4 or 5", "I had lived there for 8 years since I passed ... ", or "I was living there many years..."?

I don't think continous can be used here, but I had that idea.

I think I could use simple with many, but what about for? Is it correct to use it with simple? And the final question, is it correct to use past perfect? Maybe I should have said "I have been living there for ... " , but I think it would underline the time too much.

 

[emsr2d2]

I lived there for ​many years ... probably 11 or 12 years.

 

[Tarheel]

I have a very basic problem I fear and I completely do not know how to solve it.

Say:

I have a question.
​

Do not complicate things unnecessarily.

 

[Rover_KE]

Or don't bother with any introduction. Just start 'I was talking with my friend...'

Note that four or five are not many years.

 

[Roman55]

"This city was my hometown. I lived there ..."

I am not a teacher.

Normally, your home town is where you were born or where you lived when young. I don't think I would say the city was my home town because it will always be my home town. If it's not your home town it's just somewhere you lived at some point.

 

[Tdol]

I had lived there for 8 years since I passed

This sounds as if you died there, so don't use it. I would follow emsr2d2's advice, but would also remember that your hometown stays with you for life, as Roman55 says- I went back to my hometown for the first time in twenty years recently, and it is still my hometown, no matter how far or how long I have been away.

 

[Skrynbez]

I lived there for ​many years ... probably 11 or 12 years.

Ok, yes sorry, I will not complicate things to much next time. Next time I will also write a different thread titile.

I understood, that "for" can be used with present simple in some instances, like the one above? Am I right?

"hometown", "passed" ... and many years...

 

[Tarheel]

Ok, yes sorry, I will not complicate things too much next time. Next time I will also write a different thread titile.

I understood, that "for" can be used with present simple in some instances, like the one above? Am I right?

"hometown", "passed" ... and many years...

To give you another example, St. Louis (Missouri) is my hometown, but now I live in Charlotte (North Carolina). (If you look up "Tarheel" you will see how I decided on my current username.)