Tenses & Verb Forms

Since vs. For

1 min read

We use since and for to talk about how long something has been happening. The difference is the kind of time that comes after them.

When to use “since”

Since is used with the moment when something started. This can be a date, a day, or an 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: how long it lasts.

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.

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Tenses & Verb Forms

Since vs. For

1 min read

We use since and for to talk about how long something has been happening. The difference is the kind of time that comes after them.

When to use “since”

Since is used with the moment when something started. This can be a date, a day, or an 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: how long it lasts.

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

Other similar rules

Common confusions

Each and Every

Common confusions

Borrow vs. Lend

Common confusions

Flair vs. Flare

Common confusions

Raise vs. Rise

Agreement rules

Parallel Structure (Parallelism)

Common confusions

Who vs. Whom

Agreement rules

Incomplete Comparisons

Common confusions