most people also think

[Boris Tatarenko]

Hello.

I'm not sure whether I did and exercise correctly or not.

The sentence is:
Most people also think that pirates ___ for hundreds of years.

I must use "not exist" in the correct form. I used "have been existing". But I really don't think it's natural.
Can you help me?

 

[PeterValk]

"Most people also think that pirates have been exisiting for hundreds of years"

Sounds good to me, but I'm not a native English speaker.
Pirates existed hundreds of years ago and they're still existing, so my guess would be the same.
Let's see what the experts say about this.

And, since you asked to correct ANY mistakes:
"I'm not sure whether I did the exercise correctly or not."
"Could you help me?" (you're asking for help politely)

 

[5jj]

I must use "not exist" in the correct form.

You forgot the 'not'.

Most people also think that pirates have not (haven't) existed for hundreds of years.

 

[Boris Tatarenko]

Oh . My bad.

5jj, are the present perfect and present perfect continuous equivalent in this context?
Thanks.

 

[5jj]

No. The continuous form doesn't work.

 

[emsr2d2]

You forgot the 'not'.

Most people also think that pirates have not (haven't) existed for hundreds of years.

It makes an ambiguous statement. It could mean:

a) Most people think that pirates stopped existing hundreds of years ago
or
b) Most people think that it can't be true that pirates have existed for hundreds of years

 

[Boris Tatarenko]

According to the context people don't believe in pirates.
I'm just wonder why the present perfect continuous doesn't work here.
Can you give a little explanation?

Thanks.

 

[PeterValk]

You forgot the 'not'.

Most people also think that pirates have not (haven't) existed for hundreds of years.

And what do you think is happening off the coast of Africa? (Somalia, to name one country)
They're still with us, whether you like it or not.

 

[bhaisahab]

And what do you think is happening off the coast of Africa? (Somalia, to name one country)
They're still with us, whether you like it or not.

5jj didn't say that he thought pirates didn't exist.

 

[emsr2d2]

And what do you think is happening off the coast of Africa? (Somalia, to name one country)
They're still with us, whether you like it or not.

That's irrelevant to this thread. No-one here expressed an opinion on the existence of pirates or not. As it happens, most people I know are well aware that piracy still exists in the 21st century. However, many people, when thinking of pirates, picture Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean. I'm fairly sure that those kinds of pirates are a thing of the past!

 

[emsr2d2]

According to the context people don't believe in pirates.
I'm just wondering why the present perfect continuous doesn't work here.
Can you give a little explanation?

Thanks.

Strangely enough, the continuous would have been perfect in your post, as I have marked above in red. We rarely use the verbs "to be" and "to exist" in the present continuous.

People think dinosaurs don't exist. They're right.
People think pirates don't exist. They're wrong.

We don't say "Are pirates existing these days?" We say "Do pirates exist these days?"

 

[Boris Tatarenko]

I thought so. Thank you. I just wanted to be sure. :-D

 

[PeterValk]

Arrrrrrrrr!