have studied/learned

joham · Apr 19, 2011

Oxford Collocations Dictionary:
I've been learning Arabic for four years.

I always used 'learn' in sentences like this until I read the following book recently:

1001 Common Chinese Errors in English (by three American writers):
I've studied (NOT: learned) English for seven years.

Is this one of the differences between AmE and BrE?

Many thanks in advance.

SoothingDave · Apr 19, 2011

To say "I've learned for 4 years" is incorrect.

To say "I have been learning for 4 years" is OK.

joham · Apr 19, 2011

SoothingDave said:
To say "I've learned for 4 years" is incorrect.

To say "I have been learning for 4 years" is OK.

Thanks, SoothingDave. Is it becase of the tense or the choice of the verb that "I've learned English for 4 years" is incorrect?

Thank you again.

Rover_KE · Apr 19, 2011

It's the tense - not the choice of verb.

Rover

TheParser · Apr 19, 2011

joham said:
Oxford Collocations Dictionary:
I've been learning Arabic for four years.

I always used 'learn' in sentences like this until I read the following book recently:

1001 Common Chinese Errors in English (by three American writers):
I've studied (NOT: learned) English for seven years.

Is this one of the differences between AmE and BrE?

Many thanks in advance.

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

(1) More than one year ago, we had a wonderful discussion about

"study" vs. "learn."

(2) Since I do not know how to link, please go to the search box and

type the following exactly as follows:

whats-difference-betw 118401

(3) You may find it somewhat helpful.

have studied/learned

joham

Key Member

SoothingDave

VIP Member

joham

Key Member

Rover_KE

Moderator

TheParser

VIP Member

Similar threads