Table Summarizing the Difference between For and Since
For | Since | |
Meaning | The word ‘for’ is used to show a period, in the past, present, or future. | The word ‘since’ is used to refer to a time (an action that began in the past and is continuing). |
usage | It is used as a preposition. | It is used as a preposition. |
Example | I was waiting for an hour. | We have been married since 1996. |
for and since for Time
He has been away since Tuesday.
We often use for and since when talking about time.
for + period: a “period” is a duration of time – five minutes, two weeks, six years. For means “from the beginning of the period to the end of the period”.
since + point: a “point” is a precise moment in time – 9 o’clock, 1st January, Monday. Since means “from a point in the past until now”.
Look at these examples:
for a period from start to end |
since a point from then to now |
---|---|
>===< | x===>| |
for 20 minutes for three days for 6 months for 4 years for 2 centuries for a long time for ever since |
since 9am since Monday since January since 1997 since 1500 since I left school since the beginning of time all |
all tenses perfect | perfect tenses |
The Difference between For and Since – Meanings
The preposition ‘for’ is used to denote a specific amount of time in which someone or something was acting. For example, “I have been looking for my dog for some time now.” Here, ‘for some time now represents not an exact but a particular amount of time. The word ‘since’, on the other hand, refers to a particular point of time from when the action started/began in the past to the present. It indicates that the action is continuing. For example, “Raj has been living in London since 2003.”
Examples of For and Since
Here are a few more examples to help you understand how the two prepositions are used.
- Bruce has been traveling for the past two weeks.
- Neethu will be here for a few hours.
- I have known you since you were a kid.
- Shanti has been working as a content writer since 2018.
for
For can be used with all tenses. Here are a few examples:
- They study for two hours every day.
- They are studying for three hours today.
- He has lived in Bangkok for a long time.
- He has been living in Paris for three months.
- I worked at that bank for five years.
- Will the universe continue forever?
We do not use “all day”, or “all the time”:
- I was there all day. (not
for all day)
since
Since is normally used with perfect tenses:
- He has been here since 9 am.
- He has been working since he arrived.
- I had lived in New York since my childhood.
We also use since in the structure “It is [period] since”:
- It was a year since I had seen her.
- How long is it since you got married?
Since vs For Common Structures
For | a day ten months three weeks six years two hours a long time several hours |
Since |
1990 |
Example Sentences
Jackson has been ill for two weeks.
They have not seen my son since the beginning of the year.
I haven’t lived in Istanbul since 1995.
I haven’t been to Germany since I got married.
I last saw him in September. I have not seen him since then.
We haven’t heard from him since he phoned us six hours ago.
I haven’t seen him for years.
Warning! Be careful when using negative with since.
It is 5 years since I didn’t eat sushi.
I haven’t eaten sushi for 5 years.
Quick Exercise
Complete the following sentences, using for or since.
1. We lived in Stockton in 2005.
2. She has become very annoying since she quit smoking.
3. I haven’t seen Dan for two weeks.
4. The dog hasn’t had any food since 3 o’clock.
5. We stayed at the motel for 2 days.
6. I haven’t received any mail for a week.
7. Edi has done a lot of work since he joined us.
8. It hasn’t rained in weeks.
9. I haven’t eaten anything from yesterday’s breakfast.
10. He has been taking care of me since I was born.