1

Would it be wrong to use the past simple, the present perfect, and the present perfect continuous in these sentences after changing "now" into "today" to say that I am standing outside the house right now and I am leaving it?

  1. "I'm moving to a new house today I lived here for twenty years! I'll really miss it."

2."I'm moving to a new house today. I have lived here for twenty years! I'll really miss it."

3."I'm moving to a new house today. I have been living here for twenty years! I'll really miss it."

Or

"I am moving to a new office today. I have been working here/I have worked here/I worked her for twenty years. I'll really miss it." In this situation as well can I change "today" into "now" to mean that I am leaving the office building right now? I am standing outside the office and I am leaving it.

Improve this question
3
  • 1
    (2) and (3) are both acceptable. You would only say I lived here after you have moved to another address.
    – Kate Bunting
    Apr 19, 2021 at 8:04
  • 1
    Does this answer your question? have lived in (for,since)
    – FumbleFingers
    Apr 19, 2021 at 16:53
  • No, it doesn't answer my question. Thanks for the link.
    – Antonia A
    Apr 20, 2021 at 9:17

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

  • "I lived here for twenty years" means that you are no longer living there.

  • "I have lived" and "I have been living here for twenty years" both mean that you are still currently living there. It is twenty years and counting.

'Moving house' is, idiomatically, the process of exchanging one house for another, seamlessly. If there were a gap between leaving your old house and going into your new one then you might not use the expression "moving house". You might instead say "I'm moving into a new house today".

So, assuming that the exchange is seamless, you must either still be in your old house, or already be in your new house - you cannot be living in both. Therefore either 2 or 3 are correct.

Improve this answer
1
  • 1
    But if I say "I am moving into a new house right now" not "today" meaning that I am standing outside the house I am leaving it and I am on my way to my new house would my examples be still wrong to use "I have lived" "I have been living" and "I lived" to say that I am no longer living there? and in the say way in a similar situation about leaving the office building. I am leaving the office building right now and I tell my colleague "I have been working," "I have worked" and "I worked" here to mean I am no longer working there. I just left the office and I am on my way to the new office.
    – Antonia A
    Apr 20, 2021 at 9:14

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .