Grammar help (student error)

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Hi there,

I am Soukie and new to the forum.

I need help with a student error and would really appreciate it if someone could help me with it.

the student error is 'How long do you have it?'

It should be 'How long do you have it for?'

Is someone able to explain why the student has made this error? I am unsure whether it is a tense problem or something about passive construction.

Thank you so much in advance!!

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Type: Question • Score: 6 • Views: 1,173 • Replies: 9

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No, the correct answer is the one you say is an error.

Here's an example of how it could be used:

"Let's watch this movie I just rented."
"How long do you have it?"
"I have to return it in three days."

Another clue is that a sentence should not end with a preposition. The word "for" is a preposition.

However, "For how long do you have it?" is correct.

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I know ESL learners like to have a "This is right and that is wrong" type answer, but the truth is that both sentences are acceptable and would be perfectly understood by native speakers, in spoken English. In written English, 'For how long do you have it?' would be best.

Punkey says that "a sentence should not end with a preposition." That is an ancient "rule" that many native speakers ignore.

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@contrex,

Yep. If I wrote the sentence I might write 'for how long... but in everyday speech the two examples Soukie gave would be heard more commonly.

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@contrex,

Quote:

That is an ancient "rule" that many native speakers ignore.

It is a zombie rule that never existed, Contrex. Please, please, you are an ESL teacher! Do a little research.

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@PUNKEY,

Quote:

Another clue is that a sentence should not end with a preposition. The word "for" is a preposition.

However, "For how long do you have it?" is correct.

Here is another of those absolutely stunningly ignorant prescriptions that American students [and others] have been taught.

The reason American students of English seem so ignorant is that there are so many of them spreading these nonsense lunacies about. They are obviously no more ignorant than others who spread the same nonsense.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with ending a sentence in a preposition.

Just to be clear.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with ending a sentence in a preposition.

Fronting a preposition, as in Punkey's example above, in red, is also a possibility.

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@Soukie88,

Quote:

I need help with a student error and would really appreciate it if someone could help me with it.

the student error is 'How long do you have it?'

It should be 'How long do you have it for?'

Is someone able to explain why the student has made this error? I am unsure whether it is a tense problem or something about passive construction.

Welcome, Soukie.

First, there is no passive construction involved here, Soukie.

In order to determine what the student "error" is, we would need to see a greater context, ie. more information about the facts about the situation.

It might be a mother tongue influence where the present simple is used when the present perfect aspect should be used.

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@JTT,

JTT wrote:

Quote:
That is an ancient "rule" that many native speakers ignore.

It is a zombie rule that never existed, Contrex. Please, please, you are an ESL teacher! Do a little research.

See the quote marks surrounding the word "rule"?

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@contrex,

Quote:

See the quote marks surrounding the word "rule"?

And you think that adequately describes the nonsense, C? How is it that people like Punkey and Lola still provide this as advice that a person should take?

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@Soukie88,

Quote:

the student error is 'How long do you have it?'

It should be 'How long do you have it for?'

How long have you got it for? is common.

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Grammar help (student error)

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