Misleading in Verb Tense Practice Test (Cumulative Test Tense Review)?

[Ruslanus]

Hi there!

I’ve had some problem with “Verb Tense Practice Test” on englishpage.com in “Verb Tenses” directory. The 8th question there is: “Samantha (live) in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she (live) there when the Berlin wall came down.” So, you have to put verbs in brackets on correct tense form. I didn’t hesitate to put the second verb in Past Continuous for it was obvious. But I was firmly assured that the first verb in phrase was supposed to be: “has lived” ‘course Samantha does evidentially live in Berlin NOW (so I can’t believe that she was died :)) in view of fact that she has lived there “FOR THAN TWO YEARS”. But the correct answer turned out to be just “lived”. If there two sentences were a complete story (in past tense) such answer would be correct, but in fact the second sentence is automatically apprehended as an addition to the first one, so the second merely shows up details for the first. I was strongly confused by this.
So if you could comment this in point of grammatical view I would be really thankful for.

[Rusty]

Hi there!

I’ve had some problem with “Verb Tense Practice Test” on englishpage.com in “Verb Tenses” directory. The 8th question there is: “Samantha (live) in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she (live) there when the Berlin wall came down.” So, you have to put verbs in brackets on correct tense form. I didn’t hesitate to put the second verb in Past Continuous for it was obvious. But I was firmly assured that the first verb in phrase was supposed to be: “has lived” ‘course Samantha does evidentially live in Berlin NOW (so I can’t believe that she was died :)) in view of fact that she has lived there “FOR THAN TWO YEARS”. But the correct answer turned out to be just “lived”. If there two sentences were a complete story (in past tense) such answer would be correct, but in fact the second sentence is automatically apprehended as an addition to the first one, so the second merely shows up details for the first. I was strongly confused by this.
So if you could comment this in point of grammatical view I would be really thankful for.
“Samantha lived in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she lived there when the Berlin wall came down.”
The present perfect ("has lived") is used when something began at an unspecified time in the past and continued to the present. If you say "has lived in Berlin for more than two years" the meaning is that she still lives there. The Berlin wall came down in 1989: more than two years ago. Her residence in Berlin is a past event. Both verbs are correct in the past tense.

[Ruslanus]

“Samantha lived in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she lived there when the Berlin wall came down.”
The present perfect ("has lived") is used when something began at an unspecified time in the past and continued to the present. If you say "has lived in Berlin for more than two years" the meaning is that she still lives there. The Berlin wall came down in 1989: more than two years ago. Her residence in Berlin is a past event. Both verbs are correct in the past tense.



Kindly thanks for you, Rusty!

I’ve recognized now it’s rather the historical knowledge question then grammatical one :)
I don’t know why I forgot when did the Berlin Wall come down. I clapped on my forehead. What a sleepyhead! I’d better be more attentive for details and evidences.

Truly yours with best regards,
Ruslanus.