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"Since" marks the specific point when something started; "for" indicates how long something has lasted.
Side-by-side comparison
"Since" marks the starting point of something that is still true. Followed by a specific moment: a date or event. "I've lived here since 2015" = starting from 2015 until now.
She has lived in Madrid since 2018.
I have known him since we were children.
He has not eaten since breakfast.
"For" indicates the total duration: how long something has lasted. Followed by a period of time. "I've lived here for ten years" = the total amount of time I have been here is ten years.
She has lived in Madrid for six years.
I have known him for most of my life.
He has not eaten for twelve hours.
Common mistake
"I have studied English since three years" is wrong: "since" needs a point in time (2021, Monday, I was a child), not a duration. Correct: "I have studied English FOR three years." And "I have lived here for 2020" is wrong: "for" needs a duration (three years), not a point in time. Correct: "I have lived here SINCE 2020."
Trick to remember it
- •Does what follows indicate a point in time (2019, Monday, when I was a child)? = "since." Does what follows indicate a duration (three years, two weeks)?
- •"Desde hace [duration]" = for.
Quick rule
- •"Since" + point in time (2020, Monday).
- •"For" + duration (three years, two days).
Did you know?
SINCE can function as a preposition, conjunction, and adverb, making it one of the most versatile connectors in English. As a temporal preposition: "Since 2020." As a temporal conjunction: "Since I moved here, I have been happier." As a causal conjunction: "Since you are already here, can you help?" As an adverb: "I haven't seen her since" (from that time until now). FOR has similar versatility: purpose ("for fun"), beneficiary ("for you"), duration ("for three years"), exchange ("for $10"), and many more uses. Mastering these two connectors in all their uses is a solid indicator of B2 level or above in English.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
I've been waiting _____ two hours. Where have you been?
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She's been learning Spanish _____ she moved to Mexico.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
'Ago' measures time from the present moment backward; 'before' expresses time relative to another reference point.
'Since' marks the starting point of something active until the present; 'ago' indicates distance into the past from now.
'Because' introduces the main cause or a new reason; 'since' and 'as' introduce secondary or already-known reasons.
'Yet' (negative/question) and 'already' (affirmative) express whether something has happened; 'still' expresses continuation.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy