since/after

[ROFTOK]

1 She composed music for 5 years after she divorced. - the sentence is correct.
2 She composed music for 5 years since she was 15. (Now she is 30)

I think 2 is wrong. How can it be fixed?

 

[tedmc]

"Since" usually goes with the present perfect tense.

She has composed music for 5 years since she was 15.
She composed music for five year from the time she was 15.

 

[ROFTOK]

I don't understand how "She has composed music for 5 years since she was 15." can substitute for "She composed music for 5 years since she was 15." (I understand that the sentence is wrong but the idea is correct. It is placed in the past)

Even if it's true that SINCE usually goes with the present perfect more often, it by no means rules out the possibility of SINCE being used with the PAST PERFECT. See for yourself.

Welcome to Macmillan Education Customer Support

www.macmillandictionary.com

He had been composing music since he was ten years old.

As for your "She composed music for five year from the time she was 15." it should work, I think.

 

[5jj]

2 She composed music for 5 years since she was 15. (Now she is 30)

The problem here is that the situation is unusual. We don't often need to say that a person did something for a number of years after a certain birthday and before some later time.

We are far more likely to say something like "She stopped composing when she was 20".

 

[ROFTOK]

The real problem is the word SINCE in that sentence.

 

[Tarheel]

In my humble opinion, if you have no intention to use the sentence in a real life situation it hardly matters how you phrase it. Having said that, how you phrase something depends on what you want to say. Perhaps: "She composed music from 15 to 25." (I realize that doesn't have the grammar problem the others do.)

 

[5jj]

The real problem is the word SINCE in that sentence.

Right. It has no place there.

 

[White Hat]

The problem here is that the situation is unusual. We don't often need to say that a person. did something for a number of years After a certain birthday and before some later time.

We are far more likely to say something like "She stopped composing when she was 20".

Would "On turning 15, she began to compose music, something she would do [or 'would be doing'] for 5 years" work?

 

[5jj]

Yes.