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nawee
Joined: 29 Apr 2006
Posts: 400
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 Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 1:18 am Post subject: I have done it for 3 hours (?) |
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Hello,
Does this sentence sound ok to you?
"I have done it for 3 hours."
I would prefer "have been doing" here. But is "have done" wrong here?
For some reason, I don't find the following sentences odd.
"I have worked here for 3 years."
"I have slept for hours."
Maybe it has something to do with the verb?
Thank you,
Nawee |
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Mary W. Ng
Joined: 26 Jun 2006
Posts: 261
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| Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 12:29 pm Post subject: |
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Hi nawee,
| Quote: |
| "I have done it for 3 hours." |
The sentence is not OK. Change the preposition to in.
I have done it in 3 hours.
| Quote: |
"I have worked here for 3 years."
"I have slept for hours." |
You're right. For verbs like work and sleep, you can use the present perfect tense with a time expression beginning with for.
_________________
Mary W. Ng
Helping students learn grammar
http:www.aimpublishing.com |
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BourneNOIR
Joined: 12 Apr 2006
Posts: 113
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| Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 11:13 am Post subject: Re: I have done it for 3 hours (?) |
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Hi nawee,
It also depends on what you want to mean.
"I have done it in 3 hours," as Mary corrected, means that you have spent 3 hours working on a task and is finished.
"I have been doing it for 3 hours" means that you have spent 3 hours working on a task and is still doing it. |
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