is this statement grammatically correct?

Forums: English, Esl, Grammar
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Hi guys how are you? my name is semir. i am originally from Ethiopia but i live in Saudi Arabia. i have problem with English grammar so, i hope you can help me here. take a look the following statement is it grammatically correct? i am taking about my wife how i met her and have known her a long time.

"we had known each other since childhood in Eritrea because we used to live in the same neighborhood. In 1998; we became close friends for a year and half. At that time, I was 24 and she was 18 years old. However, due to the war among Ethiopia and Eritrea, we separated because I left Eritrea in January 2000. Surprisingly, we met again on face book in 2011 while I have been living in Saudi Arabia "
my question is
1. is the above statement grammatically correct? because some friends said, you should use present perfect instead of past perfect ( they said it is correct to say ' we have known each other since childhood')
2. if some one asks like - ' how long have you known your wife? what will be my answer?
please guys i need your help because i will have an interview soon

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@mokka,

We have known each other since childhood because we used to live in the same neighborhood. (You still know one another, there is nothing in your narrative which requires an anterior past tense.) In 1998 we became close friends for a year and half. (There is no reason to use the semicolon--i can't think why you put it there.) I was 24 and she was 18 years old. However, due to the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, I left Eritrea in January, 2000, so we separated. Surprisingly, we met again on Facebook in 2011, while I was living in Saudi Arabia.

The sentence about you leaving Eritrea may be made more coherent by saying: However, I left Eritrea in January, 2000, due to the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and we were separated.

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@Setanta,

i really appreciated for taking your time to answer my question. so, the correct answer is like you said
" We have known each other since childhood because we used to live in the same neighborhood. In 1998 we became close friends for a year and half. I was 24 and she was 18 years old. However, due to the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, I left Eritrea in January, 2000, so we separated. Surprisingly, we met again on Facebook in 2011, while I was living in Saudi Arabia."

one thing here is instead of using " i was living in Saudi Arabia, what if i use " i am living in Saudi Arabia? because i still live in Saudi Arabia

THANK YOU

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@mokka,

The sentence in which you mentioned living in Saudi Arabia refers to an event discretely located in time--2011. At that time you were living in Saudi Arabia, and whether you still live there is not relevant in that context.

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@Setanta,

Quote:

I was 24 and she was 18 years old.

I'd say, "I was 24 years old and she was 18" or better yet, "I was 24 and she was 18"

..or still even better yet, "In 1998 when I was 24 and she was 18 we became close friends for a year and half"

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is this statement grammatically correct?

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