have continued for

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "have continued for" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that an action or situation has been ongoing for a specific duration of time. Example: "They have continued for several months to work on the project without any breaks."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

The war might have continued for many years.

Independent

Those weekly tennis matches have continued for two years.

The New York Times - Tech

"But in this case, conscious awareness appears to have continued for up to three minutes.

Independent

The lamentations began before the bulldozers, and have continued for half a century.

The New York Times

The twin blasts were followed by sporadic gunfire exchanges that have continued for several hours.

The Guardian

How do we escape cycles of violence that have continued for generations?

The New York Times - Arts

This fortunate situation for Israel might have continued for another five or, perhaps, ten years.

The New Yorker

Had the new business manager not been hired, he said, Ms. Reed's embezzlement might have continued for years.

The New York Times

An accompanying commentary, sounding distinctly exasperated, pointed out that efforts to restrain overtesting and overtreatment have continued for decades.

The New York Times

The trends have continued for more than a century as humans have become bigger, stronger and healthier.

The New York Times - Health

Rehearsals have continued for planned productions, including the ballet "A Midsummer's Night Dream," which begins performances Saturday.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "have continued for" to clearly indicate that an action, event, or state has been in progress over a specific period. This phrasing adds clarity and emphasizes the duration of the activity.

Common error

Avoid shifting tenses mid-sentence when using "have continued for". Ensure the initial tense aligns with the continuation being described to prevent grammatical errors.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "have continued for" functions as a present perfect verb phrase indicating an action or state that began in the past and extends to the present. It emphasizes the duration of the action, as confirmed by Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

49%

Science

34%

Wiki

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Encyclopedias

1%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "have continued for" is a grammatically correct and frequently used present perfect verb phrase that emphasizes the duration of an action or state from the past to the present. Ludwig AI analysis confirms that it is common across diverse contexts, particularly in News & Media and Science. When writing, ensure consistent tense usage and consider alternatives like ""have persisted for"" or ""have lasted for"" to refine the meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

have persisted for

Emphasizes the ongoing nature and potential difficulty of the action.

have been ongoing for

Highlights the continuous nature of the action.

have lasted for

Focuses on the duration of the action or state.

have gone on for

Implies a sense of duration, often with a hint of unexpected length.

have endured for

Implies a sense of hardship or challenge overcome during the duration.

have remained for

Focuses on the state of remaining active or in effect.

have extended for

Similar to stretched, but can also imply an expansion in scope.

have stretched for

Suggests the action has extended over a significant distance or time.

have maintained for

Focuses on the effort to keep something in a particular state.

have rolled on for

Suggests a continuous and perhaps uneventful passage of time.

FAQs

How can I use "have continued for" in a sentence?

Use "have continued for" to show an action or state has persisted over time. For example, "Negotiations "have continued for" several months."

What are some alternatives to "have continued for"?

Alternatives include "have persisted for", "have lasted for", or "have gone on for", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "has continued for" instead of "have continued for"?

"Has continued for" is used with singular subjects, while "have continued for" is used with plural subjects or the pronoun "I/you/we/they". For example, "The discussion has continued for hours," but "They "have continued for" days."

What's the difference between "have continued for" and "continued"?

"Have continued for" emphasizes the duration and ongoing nature of the action, while "continued" simply states that the action proceeded. "Have continued for" highlights the length of time involved.