Since vs. For. Tense & Time Confusion

 

• by Grace

Many English learners feel confused when using “since” and “for” to talk about time. Although both are used with present perfect and past perfect tenses, they have different meanings and purposes.

In this blog post, we will learn the clear difference between since and for through short examples, simple rules, and helpful tables. This lesson will make it easier for you to use them correctly in daily conversation and writing.

Basic Difference

Word	Meaning	Use with Time	Example
Since	From a specific point in the past	Exact time	I have lived here since 2010.
For	A length or period of time	Duration	I have lived here for 10 years.

Grammar Role

Both “since” and “for” are prepositions of time, and they are mainly used with:

• Present Perfect Tense → has/have + past participle
• Past Perfect Tense → had + past participle

But the time expression is different:

• Use “since” to refer to the starting point of time.
• Use “for” to talk about the total duration of the action.

What is “Since”?

• Since shows the starting point of an action.
• It tells us when something began.

Use “since” with:

• A year – since 2005
• A date – since July 1st
• A day – since Monday
• A time – since 8 a.m.
• A past event – since I was a child

Examples:

• She has worked here since 2018.
• I’ve known him since school days.
• We’ve lived in Lahore since last year.

What is “For”?

• For shows the total time something has happened.
• It tells us the length or duration.

Use “for” with:

• Number of days – for 3 days
• Months/Years – for 2 months / for 5 years
• Hours/Minutes – for 2 hours
• A long/short time – for a long time

Examples:

• I’ve been waiting for an hour.
• She has lived abroad for six years.
• We studied English for two months.

Since vs. For with Examples

Use Case	Since Example	For Example
Exact time	She has been here since 5 p.m.	She has been here for 3 hours.
Starting point	He has worked here since 2010.	He has worked here for 13 years.
Past event	I’ve lived here since childhood.	I’ve lived here for my whole life.

Quick Tips

• Use since = when something started

• Use for = how long it has continued

Example:

I have been learning English
 since 2020 (start time)
 for 4 years (duration)

Sentences Using Since:

• We have lived in this house since 2014.
• He has been missing since last night.
• I have known her since school days.
• They’ve not spoken since their fight.
• It hasn’t rained since Monday.

Sentences Using For:

• I have worked here for 6 years.
• She stayed at the hotel for a week.
• They waited for two hours.
• He has studied English for a long time.
• We were on vacation for ten days.

Common Mistakes

Wrong Sentence	Correct Sentence
I’ve lived here since five years.	I’ve lived here for five years.
She’s been sick for Monday.	She’s been sick since Monday.
We’ve studied since two months.	We’ve studied for two months.

Understanding the difference between “since” and “for” helps you speak correct English when talking about time.

• Use “since” with a starting time.

• Use “for” with a duration.

Short Quiz: Choose “Since” or “For”

1. I have been sick ______ Monday.

2. She has waited ______ 30 minutes.

3. They have been friends ______ childhood.

4. We lived there ______ 10 years.

5. He has worked here ______ 2018.

Answers:

1. since

2. for

3. since

4. for

5. since

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