Hy Thomas!!
Why in the sentence a): A French supermarket chain has stopped providing them(carrier bags) for more than a year,FOR means "depuis "
and in the sentence b): I have been using carrier bag as bin liners for many years now, FOR means "pendant".
We can't saying "I Use" carrier bag for many years now ??
Can you (http://i27.servimg.com/u/f27/11/62/16/03/help211.gif) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=18&u=11621603) me please!!??
Yes, this part of english grammar is a little hard to keep back but it's the same for me don't worry!
I know only that it depends of the tense you use at the beginning. So if you use the present perfect simple, there is an allusion of the present. So "for" means in this case "depuis" because it begins from a moment until now, like the equivalent word in french.
A contrario, if you use the present perfect progressive, it will refer to a long period in the past but which doesn't allude to the present. So "for" will mean "pendant" because there is no relation with the present. :)
But now, if you want to use the present like "I use", the meaning of "for" will be "depuis" inevitably. Only because it makes us think that you still use the carrier bag at the time when you say that.
And if you want to say in french "depuis", I will have to use the present perfect simple if your action is a present action.
With the hope I answer you clearly! ;)
Yes it's clear like cristal!!! I thought I have been using was passive voice!!! :-\
I left the school since much more long time :-\
I mix up everything :D
Alright ! ;) But if you have -ING at the end of any verb, it means that there is a progression in general.
I think i made a mistake!!again!! I left the school For a long time
I will have to revise present perfect :-\
Translating prepositions can be really tricky sometimes, I have to tell myself all the time that most of them are not one-to-one equivalents! I'm going to keep doing simple past for a little while, but the next tense after that will be the present perfect ;)
thank you!!In fact that was a control that my niece had in school!!! ;)