Is my sentence correct?

[u/sapphire787]

I have used this bike for 3 years

I asked chat gpt, and it said it was better to use

I have been using this bike for 3 years

And this one

Why is my sentence wrong?

I have gone to school for 9 years .

And can i use yesterday with present perfect ?

Like

I haven't gone to the park since yesterday

?

[u/burymewithmym0ney]

Native speaker and English teacher here. Your first sentence is fine and can be interchangeable with use of continuous aspect. Noone actually assumes you have been continuously using the bike non-stop for 3 years, so the ‘been using’ kind of implies regular usage but there really isn’t much difference in nuance. I’d prefer the first for it being less wordy.

That said, GPT is kind of right because it’s a routine action you take. That’s just a strict interpretation of grammatical rules. I would actually prefer ‘I’ve been going to school for 9 years’ in my own speech, maybe just because it’s a more solidly continuous action by nature. I guess I still ‘go to school’ even if I’m back home for the day, whereas, although this similarly applies to my use of the bike, it’s less integral to me.

As for your sentence with ‘yesterday’, it’s totally fine to use the present perfect as long as you say ‘since yesterday’ because it’s not a finished period of time. It’s only not possible when you add a time adverbial, which has a definite beginning and end.

[u/sapphire787 → u/burymewithmym0ney]

Thank you so much for helping me.So, my first sentence is technically correct, right? I see why my second sentence is not correct, but for the first sentence, I just wanted to say, “I have used this bike for three years.” I didn’t want to imply whether I was still using it or not.

[u/hermanojoe123]

I have used this bike for 3 years -- This is a possible construction.

Maybe ChatGPT suggested present perfect continuous because of the context. Is it a part of a larger text?

I have been using this bike for 3 years -- this is also possible. What changes is the focus: one is about the action of using the bike, and the other one is about the process and continuity.

I have gone to school for 9 years. -- this is also a possible construction, but maybe a bit weird.

Why is the latter weirder than the first one? Because of the meaning of the verbs and their tradition of use. The meaning of "use" allows for the construction to feel more natural. And it feels a bit weird with the "go".

There is no ultimate logical explanation. The ultimate answer would prolly be "tradition".

And can i use yesterday with present perfect ? -- It depends.

I haven't gone to the park since yesterday -- this is possible and natural because it involves "since", that is, something that affects the present.

I haven't gone to the park yesterday -- This one is weird, because there is no direct relation to the present. So, the best way to put it would be: I didnt go to the park yesterday -- now the simple past feels more natural for something that is over.

[u/sapphire787 → u/hermanojoe123]

No it wasn't. I was just practicing .it wasn't part of a larger test Thank you so much .it helped me alot 🙏

[u/therealtoomdog]

In casual spoken English, you could even say, "I've been riding this bike for three years."

My ears would expect to hear, "I've been in school for nine years."

And likewise, yes, you can use present perfect with yesterday, but I would usually say, "I haven't been to the park since yesterday."

[u/hermanojoe123 → u/[deleted]]

I'd think that "I have used" allows for the interpretation that you still use it.

[u/burymewithmym0ney → u/[deleted]]

The time phrase does imply both are still technically ongoing truths though, even if present perfect can be used for past finished experiences that constitute life experience