Grammar question: have lived vs lived

Question

Dear Users,I have lived in London for 7 years.I lived in London for 7 years.Most grammar books say that the first sentence suggests that the person still lives in London. We use present perfect to express our experiences though, so I'm wondering... what if I want to express something similar to: I've been to London?In other words, can I say I have lived in London for 7 years without the intention to say that I'm still there but merely state my previous "life experiences" ? Hope this question makes sense.Thanks

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Perfect StrangerIn other words, can I say I have lived in London for 7 years without the intention to say that I'm still there but merely state my previous "life experiences" ? Hope this question makes sense.

Yes, it makes sense, but most of us would prefer it if the question never came up because it's loaded with tricky bits.

Yes, you can say "I have lived in London for 7 years" without meaning you're there, but only meaning it's one of your life experiences. However. Big however. However, that sentence also (and usually) means that you're still there, so you must be very careful to set up the context just right if you want to get the less usual meaning across.

There are a couple of ways you can make yourself understood a little better. For one thing, you can remove "for 7 years". "I have lived in London" by itself is more easily seen as a life experience. Another thing, and something that people do quite often, is to change it to the simple past: I lived in London for 7 years. You don't have the "experiential present perfect" anymore, but at least you get your point across.

CJ

Grammar question: have lived vs lived

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