I have this sentence:
Samantha lived in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she
was living there when the Berlin Wall came down.
I think because there is "for more than two years" in the sentence it should be: "Samantha has lived".
Why is this sentence used in the simple past?
Best Answer
This sentence is in the simple past because the actions described are entirely in the past: they began and ended in the past. If Samantha was in Berlin from 1988 - 1990, then we would say she lived there during that time.
We would use the present perfect, has lived, to relate a past event to the present time. For example, if Samantha still lived there, we might say she has lived there for many years.
References:
Simple Past
Present Perfect