(for) how long

[Sitifan]

1. For how long have you not seen your parents?
2. For how long haven't you seen your parents?
3. For how long have you lived in Taipei?
4. How long have you not seen your parents?
5. How long haven't you seen your parents?
6. How long have you lived in Taipei?
Which of the above sentences is NOT acceptable?
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Thank you very much for your reply.

[Yankee]

Hi Sitifan

Some of your sentences would be more commonly used sorts of sentences than others, but I'd say they're all OK.
Personally, I don't see any absolute need to use the word 'for' in sentences 1 - 3.
.

[Alan]

Hi,

I agree that 'for' is redundant in the first three sentences but I think the wording in 1,2,4 and 5 is somewhat strange and convoluted. Why not simply say: When did you last see your parents?

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Not Really

[Lost_Soul]

H, Amy and Alan

Will this wording work: When have you last seen your parents? ?

Thanks !

[Alan]

Hi,

As we are talking about a particular time when, I wouldn't use the present perfect.

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Briefly

[Yankee]

I agree that 2,3,4 + 5 would be the least likely constructions of the bunch, but I definitely cannot rule out the usage of the negative in those 'how long' questions.

[Lost_Soul]

[Yankee]

Hi Alex

I remember that thread very well.

As I see it, the problem with the word 'when' in your sentence is that it clearly asks about a specific point in time in the past -- and that is not how the present perfect should be used.

On the other hand, asking 'how long' only asks about length of time. Asking 'how long' might refer to a fixed period of time in the finished past; it might refer to a period of time in the future; or it might refer to a period of time up to now (which means that the length of the period of time could possibly grow even longer).
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