Depuis, il y a, and pendant in past contexts
1. To express an action that has been going on, depuis (or il y a ... que)
is used with the present tense.
Depuis quand avez-vous votre ordinateur ?
Depuis combien de temps avez-vous votre ordinateur ?
How long have you had your computer ? Je l'ai depuis deux ans.
Ça fait deux ans que je l'ai.
Il y a deux ans que je l'ai.
I've had it for two years.
Je conduis depuis longtemps. I have been driving for a long time.
2. But to express an action that had been going on for some time when something
else happened,
depuis is used with the imperfect.
Nous conduisions depuis deux heures,
quand j'ai proposé de prendre le volant. We had been driving for two hours
when I volunteered to drive.
3. To express an action that you have not done for some time, use depuis
with the passé composé.
Je n'ai pas conduit depuis mon mariage. I haven't driven since I've been married.
4. To express an action that was done for a period of time, pendant
is used, usually with the passé composé. But for an action
that was completed some time ago, use il y a, also with the passé
composé.
J'ai loué une voiture pendant une semaine. I rented a car for two weeks.
J'ai appris à conduire il y a deux ans. I learned to drive two years ago.
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Indo-European Languages
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