Aviation English - Talking About Duration Of Time
During your ICAO test, you may be asked questions about your career, places you've worked, or past events observed in photos. In this post, I explain how to use the Past Simple Tense to fulfill this task.
AVIATIONICAO ENGLISH TESTAVIATION ENGLISHPHOTO DESCRIPTION
Duration which starts and stops in the past, using expressions like: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.
I worked as a Human Factors specialist in Brazil for two years. (no longer in Brazil)
Shauna flew for Lion Air for five years. (no longer flying with Lion Air)
The passengers stayed onboard until the airbridge was attached to the aircraft and allowed them to exit.
(completed action)
The flight deck crew waited in the terminal building for 6 hours until the typhoon passed. (not waiting any longer)
They did not stay at the airport the whole time. (completed action)
We talked about the incident for thirty minutes. (completed action)
How long did you work for them? (Not working for them any longer)
Note: The auxiliary did + infinitive can also be used in the past simple, usually
for emphasis.
Example: I did file the near-miss report.