Understanding the use of “for” and “since” in English can be a challenge for many learners, but with the right explanation and examples, it becomes a lot easier to master. Both “for” and “since” are used to express time, but they have distinct functions that are important to understand. By learning their correct usage, you’ll improve both your written and spoken English.
What Are FOR and SINCE in English ?
Both “for” and “since” are used to talk about time. They help us specify the duration of actions or events, but they do so in different ways:
FOR is used to refer to a period of time.
Example: “I have lived here for five years.”
The focus is on the duration of time, which is 5 years.
SINCE is used to refer to a specific point in time when something began.
Example: “I have lived here since 2018.”
The focus is on the starting point of the action, which is the year 2018.
Now, let’s delve deeper into their usage.
When to Use “FOR” in English
We use “for” when we want to talk about the length or duration of time that something has happened. It answers the question, “How long?”
Here’s a list of situations where “for” is used:
A specific amount of time: For example, “for an hour,” “for two days,” “for five years.”
Example: “She stayed at the party for three hours.”
A long or short period: Whether the duration is long or short, you still use “for” to describe it.
Example: “He lived in London for a while.”
Example: “We waited for ten minutes.”
With time phrases: “For” is often used with time expressions such as “a week,” “a month,” “a decade,” etc.
Example: “I’ve been learning French for two years.”
Basic Rules for Using “FOR”
Here are some quick rules to remember when using “for”:
Always pair “for” with a period of time (e.g., “for five months,” “for an hour”).
“For” is not used to refer to a specific point in time.
When to Use “SINCE” in English
We use “since” to refer to a starting point in time. It tells us when something began and continues up until now. It answers the question, “Since when?”
Here’s a list of situations where “since” is used:
Specific point in time: “Since” refers to the exact time something started. This could be a date, year, month, or even a time of day.
Example: “I have known Sarah since 2010.”
Example: “We have been waiting since 5 PM.”
Events or changes: We often use “since” when something has started due to an event or change in the past.
Example: “He has been feeling better since his surgery.”
Example: “They have been married since last summer.”
Basic Rules for Using “SINCE”
Here are some guidelines for using “since”:
Use “since” with a specific time point (e.g., “since Monday,” “since 2020,” “since 8:00 AM”).
“Since” cannot be used with a duration of time like “for” can.
How to Differentiate Between FOR and SINCE in English
It can be tricky to figure out whether to use “for” or “since,” but here’s a simple way to distinguish between them:
| Use | FOR | SINCE |
|---|---|---|
| Refers to | Duration (how long) | Starting point (when) |
| Example | “We have been here for five years.” | “We have been here since 2018.” |
| Focus | Focus is on the length of time. | Focus is on the starting point of time. |
| Questions it answers | “How long?” | “Since when?” |
If you’re unsure, just ask yourself whether you’re referring to a duration of time or a starting point in time. If it’s about duration, use “for.” If it’s about a starting point, use “since.”
Common Mistakes with FOR and SINCE in English
Here are some common mistakes that learners make when using “for” and “since,” along with explanations:
Incorrect use of “for” when you should use “since”:
Incorrect: “I have known him for 2010.”
Correct: “I have known him since 2010.”
Incorrect use of “since” when you should use “for”:
Incorrect: “She has been working since five years.”
Correct: “She has been working for five years.”
Using “for” with a point in time:
Incorrect: “I haven’t seen you for last week.”
Correct: “I haven’t seen you since last week.”
Practical Examples of Using FOR and SINCE
Let’s break down some more practical examples to see how “for” and “since” function in different contexts. Real-life examples will make the distinction clearer and help you feel more confident when you speak or write.
1. Using “FOR” with Different Time Periods
For a Specific Duration:
“I’ve lived in this city for ten years.”
This sentence tells us the duration of time the person has lived in the city, without specifying the exact starting point.
For Short Periods:
“We stayed at the beach for a couple of days.”
Here, “for” is used to describe the short length of time spent at the beach.
For a Long Duration:
“They’ve been working on the project for six months.”
In this case, “for” helps communicate the long duration of their work on the project.
For an Exact Number of Units:
“She has been waiting for two hours.”
The exact number of hours is specified, making it clear that the wait has lasted two hours.
2. Using “SINCE” with Specific Points in Time
For a Specific Year:
“I’ve been using this phone since 2015.”
“Since” points to the exact starting year when the phone was first used.
For a Specific Date:
“He has worked here since January 1st.”
The starting point is January 1st, and it communicates when his employment began.
For a Specific Moment in the Day:
“They have been practicing since 9 AM.”
The exact moment when the practice started is indicated: 9 AM.
For an Event in the Past:
“She has been interested in photography since high school.”
The sentence implies that her interest in photography began when she was in high school.
FOR and SINCE in Negative Sentences
Sometimes, it can be a little tricky to remember how to use “for” and “since” in negative sentences, but the rules are quite simple. Negative sentences are used to indicate that something hasn’t happened over a period of time or since a specific point.
Negative Sentences with “FOR”:
“I haven’t eaten for a day.”
This tells us that the person has not eaten for a specific duration (a day).
“We haven’t seen each other for weeks.”
Again, this refers to a duration (weeks) that has passed without seeing each other.
Negative Sentences with “SINCE”:
“I haven’t spoken to him since Monday.”
This points to the specific starting point (Monday) when the conversation stopped.
“They haven’t visited us since last year.”
“Since” is used with the exact time point (last year) to express that their visits stopped after that point.
FOR and SINCE in English: Different Tenses
Both “for” and “since” can be used with different tenses, which adds more variety to your sentences. Let’s examine how each preposition fits into various tenses.
1. Present Perfect Tense
The present perfect tense is used to talk about actions that started in the past and continue into the present. You can use both “for” and “since” with this tense.
With “FOR”: “I’ve known her for a long time.”
“For” shows the duration of time from the past to the present.
With “SINCE”: “I’ve known her since 2008.”
“Since” is used to indicate the point in time when the relationship began.
2. Present Perfect Continuous Tense
The present perfect continuous tense emphasizes the ongoing nature of an action that started in the past and continues into the present.
With “FOR”: “I’ve been studying for three hours.”
The action of studying has been happening over the duration of three hours.
With “SINCE”: “I’ve been studying since 10 AM.”
The action of studying started at 10 AM and is still ongoing.
3. Past Perfect Tense
In the past perfect tense, we talk about an action that was completed before another action in the past. Both “for” and “since” can be used here, too.
With “FOR”: “She had been sick for two weeks when I visited her.”
The action (being sick) lasted two weeks before the past event (the visit).
With “SINCE”: “He had been working at the company since 2005 before he left.”
The action (working at the company) started in 2005, and the past event (leaving the company) occurred later.
Using FOR and SINCE in English with Time Expressions
Time expressions like “all day,” “forever,” “ages,” and “since the beginning” can also be paired with “for” and “since” to convey specific meanings. Let’s look at some examples.
Using “FOR” with Time Expressions:
“I have been studying for hours.”
Here, “for” is used to express an unspecified long duration.
“They’ve been married for forever.”
“Forever” here emphasizes an indefinite and long duration.
Using “SINCE” with Time Expressions:
“He has been working here since the beginning of the year.”
“Since” is used to mark the starting point of the year.
“I haven’t seen him since last summer.”
The time expression “last summer” marks the starting point of the action (seeing him).
Advanced Tips for Mastering FOR and SINCE
Once you’ve grasped the basics of “for” and “since,” it’s time to take your understanding to the next level. By focusing on advanced usage, you’ll be able to sound more fluent and precise in your English.
1. Using For and Since in Conditional Sentences
Both ” For and Since can appear in conditional sentences. These sentences describe hypothetical situations or events and their potential consequences.
With “FOR”:
“If you had worked for a few more hours, you would have finished the project.”
In this case, “for” helps explain the duration of time that would have been sufficient to complete the project.
With “SINCE”:
“If she had known you since childhood, she would have understood your situation better.”
“Since” refers to the starting point when their relationship began and emphasizes the time gap.
Using “for” and “since” in conditional sentences enhances your ability to describe scenarios that depend on specific durations or points in time.
2. Using For and Since in Questions
Asking questions with For and Since can help you gather more specific information about time. Here’s how to form questions:
Questions with “FOR”:
“How long have you been studying for?”
This question asks about the duration of studying, and the answer can be any time period.
“Have you been living here for a long time?”
Again, “for” is used to ask about the period of time someone has been living in a place.
Questions with “SINCE”:
“Since when have you been working here?”
This question asks about the starting point of employment at the company.
“Since when did you know about the project?”
“Since” helps pinpoint the specific moment when someone learned about something.
These question forms allow you to ask about both the duration of an activity and the point in time when it began.
3. “FOR and SINCE” in Reported Speech
Reported speech allows you to share what someone else has said, and you can incorporate “for” and “since” to convey time details in indirect speech.
With “FOR”:
Direct: “I have worked here for five years,” she said.
Reported: “She said she had worked there for five years.”
When reporting speech in the past tense, “for” still refers to the duration.
With “SINCE”:
Direct: “I have known her since 2010,” he said.
Reported: “He said he had known her since 2010.”
“Since” still refers to the specific starting point when the knowledge began.
When transforming direct speech into reported speech, ensure you maintain the correct use of “for” and “since” to preserve the meaning.
Common Collocations with FOR and SINCE
Certain common collocations (word combinations) can help you sound more natural when using For and Since in your speech and writing. These are phrases that native speakers frequently use together.
Common Collocations with “FOR”:
For a while
“We haven’t seen each other for a while.”
For ages
“I haven’t had a good meal for ages.”
For the time being
“We’ll stay at this hotel for the time being.”
For good
“He moved abroad for good.”
Common Collocations with “SINCE”:
Since childhood
“I’ve known him since childhood.”
Since the beginning of time
“People have wondered since the beginning of time.”
Since forever
“We’ve been friends since forever.”
Since last year
“She has been working here since last year.”
By using these collocations, you’ll sound more fluent and natural in your communication.
FAQs On FOR and SINCE in English
1. When to use For and Since?
“For” is used when referring to a duration of time. It answers the question “How long?”
Example: “I have been living here for five years.”
“Since” is used when referring to a specific point in time when something began. It answers the question “Since when?”
Example: “I have been living here since 2018.”
2. What is the rule for “since” in English?
The rule for using “since” is simple: it is used to describe the starting point of an action or event. You use “since” with specific moments in time, such as a year, a date, or a specific event that marks the beginning of something.
Example: “She has been working here since January.”
Here, “January” is the starting point when she began working.
3. Is it from 2018 or since 2018?
It is “since 2018” when you are referring to the specific point in time when something started.
Correct: “I have been living here since 2018.”
Incorrect: “I have been living here from 2018.”
“From” is typically used when referring to a point in time in the future or a period of time, but “since” is the correct choice when you want to specify a starting point.
4. What are 5 sentences for “since”?
“I have been friends with John since we were in high school.”
“She has been studying French since last year.”
“They have been married since 2010.”
“I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast.”
“We have been waiting for the bus since 8 AM.”
5. Can “since” be used with a duration?
No, “since” should not be used with a duration of time. For durations, “for” should be used instead.
Correct: “I have lived here for five years.”
Incorrect: “I have lived here since five years.”
Conclusion On FOR and SINCE in English
Mastering the use of for and since is essential to expressing time accurately in English. Whether you’re talking about the duration of an event (using “for”) or the specific point when something started (using “since”), understanding these subtle distinctions will help you communicate more effectively. With the tips, examples, and rules provided, you’re now better equipped to use “for” and “since” with confidence.