When learning English, one of the most complicated aspects to master are prepositions and expressions of time, and among the most common but confusing are “since” and “for”. Although both terms are used to talk about time, they are used in different contexts and have specific rules. In this FunTalk article, we will teach you the main differences between “since” and “for”, as well as provide examples to help clarify how and when to use them correctly.
1. Use of “Since”.
“Since” is used to indicate the starting point of an action or situation. In other words, “since” refers to a specific moment in time from which something has begun and continues to the present or to a time in the past. This term can be used with a date, a day of the week, a specific time or even with a sentence indicating the beginning of the action.
Examples with “Since”:
- I have lived here since 2010. (I have lived here since 2010).
- She has been working since Monday. (She has been working since Monday).
- They’ve known each other since childhood. (They have known each other since childhood).
In these examples, “since” gives us a clear idea of when the action began. If we try to ask about the exact moment when something started, we can use “since” to make the answer more precise.
Important features of “since”:
- It is used with a specific date or event in time.
- It is also used to talk about specific moments in time, such as “morning,” “January,” “Monday,” etc.
- It is usually accompanied by verb tenses in the present perfect or past perfect (when we talk about situations that started in the past and continue up to the present).
2. Use of “For”.
On the other hand, ” for” is used for to express the duration of an action or situation. This term refers to the period of time in which something occurs. Unlike“since“, which indicates the exact beginning of the action,“for” indicates how much time has elapsed since the action began.
Examples with “For”:
- I have lived here for five years. (I have lived here for five years).
- She has been working for two hours. (She has been working for two hours).
- They’ve known each other for a long time. (They have known each other for a long time).
In these examples, “for” is used to show how much time has passed since the action began. The duration can be measured in days, weeks, years, hours, months or even seconds.
Important features of “for”:
- Used with time periods such as “two hours”, “five days”, “a long time”, “years”, etc.
- It speaks of the total duration of an action or state, without specifying when it began.
- It is also used in combination with verb tenses in the present perfect, past perfect or even present tense.
3. Comparison between for and since
Below are some key comparisons to better understand the difference between for and since:
- Start vs. duration while “since” marks the beginning of an action or situation, “for” indicates how long it has lasted. For example:
- I have worked here since 2015 (I started working here in 2015 and I am still working here).
- I have worked here for 10 years.
- Specific moments vs. time periods Since” is used with specific times (such as a date or an event), while “for” is used with more general periods of time. For example:
- He has lived in Paris since 2000.
- He has lived in Paris for 25 years.
- Present and past tense: Both “since” and “for” are used mainly with the present perfect, but can also be used in the past perfect. In the case of “since”, emphasis is given to the exact time when the action began, while “for” emphasizes the amount of time that has elapsed.
4. Common mistakes when using since and for
One of the most common mistakes English learners make is the incorrect use of for or since. For example, it is incorrect to say “I have known him for 2010”, since 2010 is a specific point in time, which requires the use of“since“. Instead, you should say “I have known him since 2010”. Similarly, “since” should not be used with periods of time, as in the case of “I have lived here since five years”. The correct form would be “I have lived here for five years”.
In summary, “since” and “for” are two English expressions used to talk about time, but they have different functions. “Since” is used to indicate the exact time when something began, while “for” is used to indicate the duration of an action. If you remember these key distinctions, you will be able to use them more accurately in your English conversations and writing. Practicing with concrete examples and everyday situations will help you become familiar with these terms and avoid confusion.