Shaky English Logo
BlogBusinessesSchoolsDownload the App

Resources

Blog

Follow us:

Services

TeachersSchoolsBusinesses

Contact & Legal

Contact UsFeedback & IdeasPrivacy PolicyTerms of Use

© 2026 Shaky English. All rights reserved.

  1. Home
  2. Blog
  3. Tenses & Verb Forms
  4. Since vs. For
Tenses & Verb Forms

Since vs. For

1 min read
Share:

We use since and for to talk about how long something has been happening — but they are used in different ways depending on the type of time reference.

When to use “since”

Since is used with a specific point in time — when something started. This can be a date, a day, or a specific event.

  • She’s lived in Berlin since 2018.
  • I haven’t seen him since Monday.
  • They’ve been married since last summer.

When to use “for”

For is used with a length of time — a period or duration.

  • She’s lived in Berlin for five years.
  • I haven’t seen him for two days.
  • They’ve been married for a long time.

💡 Tip

  • Use “since” with a starting point in time (e.g. since 9 AM, since last week).
  • Use “for” with a duration of time (e.g. for 3 hours, for six months).

Test your knowledge 📝

Question 1 sur 8Score: 0/8

We’ve lived here ___ 2010.

Discover the app: Shaky English

Join 100,000 people who are improving their English skills on the Shaky English app

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Other similar rules

Common confusions

Flair vs. Flare

Flair and flare sound identical, but their meanings are completely different. One is about talent or style, and the other is about sudden brightness or flames. Flair Flair means a natural talent or a...

Read more→
Common confusions

Historic vs. Historical

Historic and historical look almost the same, but they are used differently. Both relate to the past, but the meaning changes depending on the type of event or object you’re talking about. Historic H...

Read more→
Agreement rules

Tag Questions (You’re French, aren’t you?)

Tag questions are short questions added to the end of a statement to check information or confirm something. They’re common in everyday conversation and often used to invite agreement. How do tag que...

Read more→
Conjugation

What Is an Adverb?

An adverb is a word that modifies or gives more information about a verb, adjective, another adverb, or even a whole sentence. It helps answer questions like how?, when?, where?, and how often? Adver...

Read more→
Common confusions

Cue vs. Queue

Cue and queue sound the same, but they mean very different things. Mixing them up can change the entire meaning of a sentence. Cue Cue is usually a noun or a verb meaning: a signal or prompt to do...

Read more→
Common confusions

Capital vs. Capitol

Capital and capitol sound identical, but their meanings are very different. One is used in many contexts, while the other is used in only one very specific situation. Capital Capital has several comm...

Read more→
Common confusions

Your vs. You're

Your shows that something belongs to you. It’s a possessive adjective. Your phone is ringing. 📱 (The phone belongs to you.) I love your new haircut. ✂️ Is this your water bottle? You're is...

Read more→
Agreement rules

Omission of Auxiliary Verbs in Questions/Negatives (e.g. He not go)

In English, we almost always need an auxiliary verb (like do, does, did, is, are, have) when forming questions and negatives in the present simple or past simple tenses — unless “be,” “have,” or a mod...

Read more→