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He quit his job in 2000, he lived there from 2000 till 2002. Now it's 2022.

1 He had been living there for two years since he quit his job.

2 He had been living there for two years since he had quit his job.

3 He was living there for two years since he (had) quit his job.

4 He lived there for two years since he (had) quit his job.

Which options are correct?

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We only use since if the situation being described is ongoing. (1) and (2) are correct if they are part of a narrative about events in 2002. You could also say since quitting his job.

If you are making a statement from the point of view of today (2022), you have to say

He lived there for two years after quitting his job. (or, after he (had) quit his job.)

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  • Upvoted but this is simply not true "We only use since if the situation being described is ongoing." See macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/since When since is used for talking about time, the verb in the main clause of the sentence is usually in the present perfect or past perfect tense: It hasn’t rained since the end of July.He had been composing music since he was ten years old. Sometimes the present simple or past simple is used in the main clause: It’s over twenty years since we last met
    – user1425
    Jun 21 at 10:10
  • Another thing "He was ill for two days after quitting his job." I think it wrong. "He had been ill for two days..." Do u agree?
    – user1425
    Jun 21 at 10:32
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    I said nothing about 'relevance to the present'. The composer had started to write music at the age of ten, and the author implies that, at the time they are talking about, he was still doing so. (It was an ongoing situation.)
    – Kate Bunting
    Jun 21 at 12:21
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    In 1890 X began to study at the Royal College of Music. He had been composing music since he was ten. If a particular date is not mentioned and the subject is no longer alive, we would say He began to compose music when he was ten.
    – Kate Bunting
    Jun 22 at 7:34
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    "He composed music from the age of ten until his early death at 30" is one possibility.
    – Kate Bunting
    Jun 22 at 8:14

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