It is ten years since ...

Another question.
Can I write two sentences below for the same meaning?
1- It is ten years since she lived in Paris.
2- It is ten years since she has lived in Paris.

Re: It's twenty years since I've seen her.

The first sentence is fine if you mean that ten years have elapsed since she left Paris. The second sentence is incorrect. I presume you mean "She has been living (or has lived) in Paris for ten years."

It would have been better to start a new thread for a new question.

Re: It's twenty years since I've seen her.

I have moved this to a new thread.

Re: It's twenty years since I've seen her.

probus said:

The first sentence is fine if you mean that ten years have elapsed since she left Paris. The second sentence is incorrect. I presume you mean "She has been living (or has lived) in Paris for ten years."

It would have been better to start a new thread for a new question.

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Thank probus!
From what you said, I infer that the two sentences are different in meaning.
1- It is ten years since she lived in Paris = She lived in Paris ten years ago. (She doesn't live there any more)
2- It is ten years since she has lived in Paris = She has lived in Paris for ten years.(She still lives there now)
Is it right, please?

Re: It's twenty years since I've seen her.

hoangkha said:

From what you said, I infer that the two sentences are different in meaning.
1- It is ten years since she lived in Paris = She lived in Paris ten years ago. (She doesn't live there any more)
2- It is ten years since she has lived in Paris = [STRIKE]She has lived in Paris for ten years.(She still lives there now)[/STRIKE]
Is it right, please?

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No. They both mean the same. She has not lived in Paris for ten years. You will certainly hear #2, but I would probably say only #1

Re: It's twenty years since I've seen her.

Thank 5jj a lot! I completely trust what you say.
By the way, do you mind if I ask another question?
Someone said that the two sentences below are wrong. Is that right, please?
1- It is two years since he bought his car.
2- It is two years since he has bought his car.
(Sorry. Because I think emsr2d2 will move my post to a new thread.)

Re: It's twenty years since I've seen her.

hoangkha said:

Thank 5jj a lot! I completely trust what you say.
By the way, do you mind if I ask another question?
Someone said that the two sentences below are wrong. Is that right, please?
1- It is two years since he bought his car.
2- It is two years since he has bought his car.
(Sorry. Because I think emsr2d2 will move my post to a new thread.)

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ems won't move it. I told you not to start a third thread on the same question.

This is the same question (with different examples) that you asked in the other thread and in this one. The answer is going to be the same. Unlike, probus, I think that #2 is acceptable, at least in speech. If you are taking a public examination set in your own country, I recommend that you use 'It has been ten years ...'. 'It is ten years ...' is fine , but some examiners have interesting ideas.

Re: It's twenty years since I've seen her.

5jj said:

ems won't move it. I told you not to start a third thread on the same question.

This is the same question (with different examples) that you asked in the other thread and in this one. The answer is going to be the same. Unlike, probus, I think that #2 is acceptable, at least in speech. If you are taking a public examination set in your own country, I recommend that you use 'It has been ten years ...'. 'It is ten years ...' is fine , but some examiners have interesting ideas.

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Thank 5jj!
I have to ask three questions because I think each verb has a different usage.
From what you said, I infer that both mean "He bought his car two years ago."
Is that right, please?

Re: It's twenty years since I've seen her.

hoangkha said:

From what you said, I infer that both mean "He bought his car two years ago."
Is that right, please?

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Yes

Re: It's twenty years since I've seen her.

Hello!
A group of us is discussing the construction “It + be + a period of time + since + simple past/present perfect”.
According to A practical English grammar (4[SUP]th[/SUP] edition) by A.J Thomson & A.V Martinet, page 171.
We can say:
It is three years since I (last) saw Bill or
It is three years since I have seen Bill.
I last saw Bill three years ago or
I haven't seen Bill for three years.
It is two months since Tom (last) smoked a cigarette or
It is two months since Tom has smoked a cigarette.
He last smoked a cigarette two months ago or
He hasn't smoked a cigarette for two months.

We can use the it is ... since construction without the adverb last:

It is two years since he left the country.

This, however, is replaceable only by:

He left the country two years ago.

We could not use a negative present perfect here as in the sentence about Bill above. He hasn't been (living) in the country for the last two years is possibe but isn't an exact equivalent of He left two years ago.


Therefore, some of us said that “It is two years since he left the country.” can’t be replaced with “It is two years since he has left the country.” because LEAVE (or DIE) is a verb of a one-time event. It can’t be repeated. The others said that the construction is used with every verb.
Which is right, please? Thank in advance.

Re: It's twenty years since I've seen her.

“It is two years since he has left the country.” is wrong.

Re: It's twenty years since I've seen her.

Raymott said:

“It is two years since he has left the country.” is wrong.

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Thank Raymott.
But according to Practical English Usage (Oxford) by Michael Swan, page 521
Somtimes a present perfect tense is used in SINCE-clause, exceptionally, to refer to a finished point of time.
- It is now a year since we have last discussed your future.
(More normal: It is now a year since we last discussed your future.)

M.Swan doesn't say what kinds of verbs are used in this structure, so it means that all kinds of verbs can be used.

Re: It's twenty years since I've seen her.

Could you please tell which edition of Practical English Usage you use ?
I just checked mine and really can't find that excerpt.
In the edition I've got there are examples that indicate that not all kinds of verbs can be used in that manner.

Since can be used as a conjunction of time, introducing its own clause. The tense in the since-clause can be perfect or past, depending on the meaning. compare:

-I've known her since we were at school together.
I've known her since I've lived in this street.
-You've drunk about ten cups of tea since you arrived.
you've drunk about ten cups of tea since you've been sitting here.
[...]

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As you might see there are given contrasting examples:
arrived vs been here; bought vs have had.;



Cheers;

Re: It's twenty years since I've seen her.

Jaskin said:

Could you please tell which edition of Practical English Usage you use ?
I just checked mine and really can't find that excerpt.
In the edition I've got there are examples that indicate that not all kinds of verbs can be used in that manner.


As you might see there are given contrasting examples:
arrived vs been here; bought vs have had.;



Cheers;

Click to expand...

Thank Jaskin!
Mine is NEW EDITION. Below is what M.Swan wrote about SINCE-clause on page 521.
2- Tenses in SINCE-clause
In the examples above (page 520; SINCE as a preposition), SINCE is used as a preposition. But SINCE can also be used as a conjunction of time, introducing its own clause. The tense in SINCE-clause can be perfect or past, depending on the meaning. Compare:
- I’ve known her since we were at school together.
- I’ve known her since I have livec in this street.
- We visit my parents every week since we bought the car.
- We visit my parents every week since we have had the car.
- You have drunk about ten cups of tea since you arrived.
- You have drunk about ten cups of tea since you have been sitting here.
- They had been close friends since Alice was small.
- They hadn’t seen much of each other since Polly (had) moved away.
Somtimes a present perfect tense is used in SINCE-clause, exceptionally, to refer to a finished point of time.
- It is now a year since we have last discussed your future.
(More normal: It is now a year since we last discussed your future.)


But what I want to ask is only the structure “It + be + a period of time + since + simple past/present perfect”.

Cheers

Re: It's twenty years since I've seen her.

hoangkha said:

Mine is NEW EDITION. Below is what M.Swan wrote about SINCE-clause on page 521.
[...]

Somtimes a present perfect tense is used in SINCE-clause, exceptionally, to refer to a finished point of time.
- It is now a year since we have last discussed your future.
(More normal: It is now a year since we last discussed your future.)

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Every edition is a New Edition when it first comes out. I have the 3rd edition, and it doesn't say that either on page 521 or on the nearby section on "since: tenses". So I'd guess that you have the first or second edition, and that Swan has revised that part because too many people disagreed, or that you have a fourth or subsequent edition, in which Swan has inserted those lines for reasons unknown. It's probably true that that construction is sometimes used, but some people will say anything.

Re: It's twenty years since I've seen her.

Raymott said:

Every edition is a New Edition when it first comes out. I have the 3rd edition, and it doesn't say that either on page 521 or on the nearby section on "since: tenses". So I'd guess that you have the first or second edition, and that Swan has revised that part because too many people disagreed, or that you have a fourth or subsequent edition, in which Swan has inserted those lines for reasons unknown. It's probably true that that construction is sometimes used, but some people will say anything.

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Thank Raymott.
Yes. Your are right. It is a second edition.

And from what 5jj considered correct
Post 5 - It is 2 years since she lived in Paris = It is 2 years since she has lived in Paris= She lived in Paris 2 years ago = She hasn't lived in Paris for 2 years.


Post 7- It is 2 years since he bought his car = It is 2 years since he has bought his car = He bought his car 2 years ago.

Post 9- It's twenty years since I've seen her (OALD) = It's twenty years since I last saw her = I last saw her twenty years ago = I haven't seen her for twenty years.
https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/...enty-years-since-ive-seen-her.html#post983795

I don’t know why “It is two years since he left the country” can’t be replaced with “It is two years since he has left the country”.

Re: It's twenty years since I've seen her.

hoangkha said:

And from what 5jj considered correct
Post 5 - It is 2 years since she lived in Paris = It is 2 years since she has lived in Paris= She lived in Paris 2 years ago = She hasn't lived in Paris for 2 years.

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I did not actually say that the second was correct. I said that you might hear it, but that I would say only the first.

Post 7- It is 2 years since he bought his car = It is 2 years since he has bought his car = He bought his car 2 years ago.

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I actually wrote, "Unlike, probus, I think that #2 is acceptable (emphasis added), at least in speech." I would not recommend this if you were taking a public examination.

I don’t know why “It is two years since he left the country” can’t be replaced with “It is two years since he has left the country”.

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The logic is that we can, and do, say, "It has been/is two years since [a past time]. That being so, we need a past tense if we are talking about an action at the past time.

However, this is one of those occasions when native speakers do not always follow logic, especially in speech. You will hear all of these:

It has been two years since he bought his car.
It is two years since he has bought his car.
It has been two years since he has bought his car
It has been two years since he has bought his car.

In normal conversation, nobody will worry about which tense you use. However, if you are taking an examination, I suggest you do not use the last two.

Re: It's twenty years since I've seen her.

Thank 5jj very much.