Please check the following sentences. What are the differences between them?
1. How long have you lived in the UK before coming to the USA?
Must it be the situation that the person has just come to the USA?
2. How long did you live in the UK before coming to the USA?
3. How long had you lived in the UK before coming to the USA?
4. How long had you lived in the UK before you came to the USA?
Is the person who is asked this question living outside the USA now?
THANKS!
1. How long have you lived in the UK before coming to the USA?
Must it be the situation that the person has just come to the USA?
2. How long did you live in the UK before coming to the USA?
3. How long had you lived in the UK before coming to the USA?
4. How long had you lived in the UK before you came to the USA?
Is the person who is asked this question living outside the USA now?
THANKS!
1. How long have you lived in the UK before coming to the USA? -- not usable.
Must it be the situation that the person has just come to the USA?
2. How long did you live in the UK before coming to the USA? -- OK.
3. How long had you lived in the UK before coming to the USA? -- OK.
4. How long had you lived in the UK before you came to the USA? -- OK.
Is the person who is asked this question living outside the USA now? No. The speaker says "came". That indicates that he is in the U.S.
2, 3, and 4 all have the same meaning.
CJ
Must it be the situation that the person has just come to the USA?
2. How long did you live in the UK before coming to the USA? -- OK.
3. How long had you lived in the UK before coming to the USA? -- OK.
4. How long had you lived in the UK before you came to the USA? -- OK.
Is the person who is asked this question living outside the USA now? No. The speaker says "came". That indicates that he is in the U.S.
2, 3, and 4 all have the same meaning.
CJ
Comments
Would it be: How long did you live in the UK before you came to the USA?
http://www.EnglishForward.com/English/DidYouLiveAndHaveYouLived/mczhx/post.htm
Cool Breeze says:
How long did you live there before coming here?
This is because the person you are talking to no longer lives "there".
Which explanation is right then?
Yes, indeed. You can have confidence in anything Cool Breeze tells you.
Clive
CJ