Difference Between Since and For With Best Examples and Exercise

The difference between prepositions since and for in English grammar helps students to understand actions starting point of time, or the state of being. Both prepositions are used in the present perfect and present perfect continuous tenses.

The article delves into the difference, use, rules, example sentences, and exercises related to for and since.

1. What is the Difference between Since and For?

For and since are used to say how long something has been happening.

• We use “for” when we say a period of time.

Example:

• I have been reading for two hours.
• We use for + a period of time. (five days/ three years).

Example:

• He has been in Delhi for five months.
• We have been working for five hours.

• We use since the start of the period (Tuesday/ 7 O’clock, etc.).
• The preposition since is used to say about a specific point in time. Basically, it is the beginning of an action and represents the duration up to the present.
• Example:
• Tom has been in France since February. (=from February to now).
• We have been cleaning the house since 5 O’clock (=from 5 o’clock to now).
• I have lived in Canada since I was nine years old.
• The actions in the above sentences are unfinished.
• We can use: It’s a long time/ 5 years etc.) since something happened.
• Example:
• It’s been three years since I met Jack. (I haven’t met Jack for three years/ the last time I met Jack was three years ago.)
• It’s been ages since I went to the library. (We haven’t been to the library for ages.)

• The question is how long is it since………?
• How long is it since you suffered from fever? (=when did you last suffer from fever?)
• How long is it since Susan learnt German?

(=When did Susan learn German?)

• It is always used with perfect tenses.
• It refers to a specific point of time in the past.

2. What are the Rules and Structure of using Since and For? (Use in Tenses)

Rules and structure for using “for” and “since” when we refer to time:-

Structure

• Subject + has/have + past participle (verb) + for + length of time.
• Example:
• I have lived in Australia for seven years. (present perfect).
• He has been playing tennis for two hours. (present perfect continuous)
• So, this is how since and for is used in tenses.

• Time duration with “for”.

For five years	For four weeks
For six days	For two hours
For ten months	For a long time

Since = starting point of time of an action (when?)

Structure

• Subject +has/have +past participle (verb) +since + specific time.
• Example:
• I have been learning English since January.
• She has been waiting since 10 O’clock.
• They have lived in London since 2015.

Time duration with “since”.

Monday	May	Friday
5 o’clock	2018	I was nine years old
16 June	Christmas	We arrived

• It is used in present perfect tense and present perfect continuous tense.

3. For and Since Exercise with Answers

Write for or since.

1. Amelia has been in Madrid _______ Monday.
2. Olivia has been in London _______ three days.
3. My brother has lived in India _______ 10 years.
4. Daniel is in his office. He has been there _______ 9 o’clock.
5. India has been an independent country ______ 1947.
6. Jack and Diane have been married ________ 10 years.
7. The train is late. We have been waiting _______ 15 minutes.
8. Sita has been learning French ____ seven months.
9. James has known Linda _______ a long time.
10. Mohan has been _______ 5 days. He has been in hospital _______ Thursday.

Answers:-

1. Since
2. For
3. For
4. Since
5. Since
6. For
7. For
8. For
9. For
10. For, since

Common Mistakes (Since and For)

1. Use of since for a period of time.

1. I have been teaching in this school since ten years.❌
2. have been teaching in this school for ten years.✅

Since is used for a specific point of time, for duration or a period of time use for.

2. Use of for with a starting point.

• She has been reading the book for 8 o’clock.❌
• She has been reading the book since 8 o’clock.✅
• Since is always used for the starting point of an action. For denotes how long.
• .Mixing while using them with tenses.
• I am living in Delhi since 2010.❌
• I have been living in Delhi since 2010. ✅
• Since and for are not used for the present continuous tense. They are used for the present perfect or present perfect continuous tense.
• Using both together unnecessarily.
• She has been cooking since for three hours.❌
• She has been cooking for two hours.✅
• She has been cooking since 9 am. ✅

You can use since or for in a sentence.

Frequently Asked Questions:-

Happy Learning!

English Vedas Blog

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