Table of Contents
Understanding For And Since
For and since are used with the present perfect and other tenses to indicate time. For denotes the duration or how long something has been the case, while since signifies that something has been true from a specific time in the past until the present.
For and Since As Time Expressions
As a time expression, for can be used with all tenses.
- I work for 2 hours every day. (Present Simple)
- He is watching streaming videos for 3 hours. (Present Continuous)
- She worked at the bakers’ for 10 years. (Simple Past)
- They have been playing cards for 30 minutes. (Present Perfect Continuous)
Since is typically used with the perfect tenses:
- She has lived in this town since 2010.
- I haven’t seen him since I was 10.
For or Since With The Present Perfect
When to use for and since with the present perfect?
For
Used with the present perfect, for indicates the duration – How long something has lasted or has continued:
Examples:
- I have been in this town for a long time.
- He has known her for six years.
Since
Use since to say that something has been true from a particular time in the past until now.
Examples:
- I have been in this town since I was 10 years old.
- He has known her since 2008.
| Present Perfect Usage | Example Sentences with “For” and “Since” |
| Duration (For) | I have been in this town for a long time. He has known her for six years. They have lived in the same house for a decade. |
| Specific Time (Since) | She has lived here since 2010. I haven’t seen him since I was 10. We have known each other since college. |
Conclusion
“For” and “Since” are time expressions, having distinct uses with various tenses, particularly the present perfect. “For” denotes duration, indicating how long an action has persisted, while “since” precisely marks the start of an event or state in the past, continuing until the present moment.
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