When it comes to expressing time in English, “since” and “for” are two commonly used words that often cause confusion. Both are used to talk about time, but they serve different purposes and are not interchangeable. Understanding their distinct functions is crucial for clear and accurate communication. Let’s explore the differences between “since” and “for” to help you use them correctly in your writing and speech.
“Since”: Indicating the Starting Point
“Since” is used to indicate the starting point of an action or event. It specifies when something began and is typically used with perfect tenses. “Since” is followed by a specific point in time, such as a date, day, month, year, or specific event.
Examples:
“I have lived here since 2010.”
“She has been working here since January.”
“They have been friends since high school.”
In each example, “since” indicates the exact time when the action started. The sentences suggest that the actions are still ongoing.
Common Tenses Used with “Since”:
Present Perfect: “I have known him since 2005.”
Past Perfect: “He had been here since morning when I arrived.”
Present Perfect Continuous: “They have been studying since 8 AM.”
“For”: Indicating Duration
“For” is used to indicate the duration of an action or event. It tells us how long something has been happening and can be used with various tenses. “For” is followed by a period of time, such as seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, or years.
Examples:
“I have lived here for 10 years.”
“She has been working here for six months.”
“They have been friends for a long time.”
In each example, “for” indicates the total duration of the action. The focus is on how long the action has been happening rather than when it started.
Common Tenses Used with “For”:
Present Simple: “I exercise for an hour every day.”
Present Perfect: “I have lived here for five years.”
Past Simple: “He stayed there for two weeks.”
Future Simple: “She will be away for a month.”
Present Perfect Continuous: “They have been working for several hours.”
Difference between Since and For
Since
For
Function
Indicates the starting point of an action or event
Indicates the duration of an action or event
Used with
Specific point in time
Period of time
Common Contexts
“Since” + specific date, time, event (past)
“For” + amount of time (seconds, minutes, hours, days, years)
Example
“I have lived here since 2010.”
“I have lived here for 10 years.”
Question Form
“How long have you been here since?”
“How long have you been here for?”
Verb Tense
Typically used with perfect tenses
Used with various tenses
Since and For examples
Using “Since”
“I have lived here since 2010.”
“They have been studying since 9 AM.”
“He had been working there since he graduated.”
“She has known him since childhood.”
“We have been waiting since 7 o’clock.”
“I have been a fan of his music since I first heard it.”
“They have been together since high school.”
“She has been practicing piano since she was five.”
“They had been playing football since early morning.”
“We have not seen each other since last summer.”
“He has been working at this company since 2015.”
“I have used this phone since it was released.”
“She has been living in New York since she got her job.”
“He had been reading the book since it came out.”
“They have been building this house since January.”
“I have been jogging every morning since last month.”
“He has improved a lot since his last performance.”
“We have been planning this trip since last year.”
“She has been painting since the start of the week.”
“They had been best friends since their first day at school.”
Using “For”
“I run for an hour every morning.”
“We have known each other for ten years.”
“She stayed in Paris for a month.”
“He will be away for three weeks.”
“They are talking for a long time.”
“I was studying for several hours last night.”
“By this time tomorrow, she will be traveling for 12 hours.”
“I have been reading for two hours.”
“He had been there for a few days before the conference.”
“By next year, I will have worked here for a decade.”
“They had been waiting for the bus for an hour before it arrived.”
“I have been a member of this club for five years.”
“She has been practicing yoga for six months.”
“We lived in that house for three years.”
“They will be in town for a few days.”
“He writes in his journal for half an hour every evening.”
“I was walking for miles before I found a taxi.”
“She will be working on the project for the entire weekend.”
“They have been watching TV for hours.”
“She had been asleep for a while before the phone rang.”
Understanding the difference between “since” and “for” enhances your ability to describe time accurately. “Since” pinpoints the start of an action, while “for” focuses on the duration. By mastering their usage, you can improve the clarity and precision of your communication, ensuring that your meaning is always clear to your audience.
