Practice
Since or for? Choose the right time phrase
Sign in to saveYou have been waiting for a friend. Do you say when the wait began, or how long it has lasted? Since and for give different answers.
Choose since for the point when a continuing situation began and for for its duration, using the present perfect when the situation continues now.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
since 2022 and for two years /sɪns ˌtwenti ˌtwentiˈtuː/ and /fə tuː jɪəz/
The short answer
Use since to say when a continuing situation started. Use for to say how long it has continued.
I have lived here since 2022.
Why it works: 2022 is the starting point of the situation.
4 more examples
-
She has waited for thirty minutes.
Thirty minutes is a duration.
Not this:She has waited
since nine o'clock. What changes: Nine o'clock is the point when the wait began. -
We have known each other since primary school.
Primary school is the starting stage of the friendship.
Not this:We have known each other
for a long time. What changes: A long time measures the duration of the friendship. -
The shop has been closed since Monday.
Monday is the day when the closure began.
Not this:The shop has been closed
for two days. What changes: Two days is the length of the closure. -
I studied for two hours last night.
For still gives a duration when the study time is finished.
Not this:I
have studied for two hourstoday. What changes: Today can be unfinished, so the present perfect can connect the study time to now.
Read the full guide
Look at the words after since or for. A day, date, year, clock time, or starting event goes after since. A number of minutes, days, months, or years goes after for.
Use since for the start
Since tells us when a situation began. Put a point in time after it, such as a year, a day, a clock time, or an event.
My family has lived in this street since 2019.
2019 is one point in time. It is the beginning, not the length.
Use for for the length
For tells us how long something lasts. Put a period of time after it, such as ten minutes, three weeks, or a year.
My family has lived in this street for seven years.
Seven years is a length of time, so it follows for.
Use the present perfect when it continues now
When a situation began in the past and is still true now, English often uses have or has plus a past participle. This form links the past to the present.
He has played the guitar since he was eight.
Which word gives the starting point in this sentence?
Since he was eight gives the starting point. The phrase has played shows that the activity continues now.
Put a time or event after since
After since, you can name a time or give an event with a subject and verb. The event tells the reader when the period started.
The park has been quieter since the road closed.
The road closed is the starting event. It does not tell us how long the park has been quieter.
For can describe a finished period too
For does not always need the present perfect. Use it with the past simple when the period is finished and the sentence says when it happened.
We stayed at the hotel for three nights last summer.
Last summer is finished, so stayed is natural. For three nights still gives the duration.
Check the words after the time phrase
Before you choose, ask a simple question. Is the next phrase the beginning, or is it a length? Use since for a beginning and for for a length.
The children have been in the garden since lunch. They have been there for an hour.
Lunch is the starting point. An hour is the length of time.
Before you go
Remember this
Choose since for the beginning and for for the length. Then check the verb tense. If the situation started earlier and continues now, the present perfect is often a good choice.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Since or for? Choose the right time phrase"
What is the difference between since and for?
Use since for the point when a period began and for for its length. Since 2022 names a beginning, while for four years tells you how long the period has lasted.
I have lived here since 2022.
Do since and for need the present perfect?
They are common with the present perfect when a situation began earlier and continues now. For can also be used with past simple for a finished period, such as a stay last summer.
I have lived here for four years.
What can I put after since?
Put a starting point after since. This can be a day, year, time, or event. Since Monday, since 2019, and since the road closed all name when a period began.
She has waited for thirty minutes.
What can I put after for?
Put a duration after for. A duration tells you how long something lasts, such as for ten minutes, for three weeks, for a year, or for a long time.
She has waited since nine o'clock.
Can since mean because?
Yes. Since can mean because when it gives a reason, as in Since it was raining, we stayed inside. Read the whole sentence to see whether since is about time or a reason.
We have known each other since primary school.