For and Since For Time

We all have often heard ‘for’ and ‘since’ in general conversation, these words are related to time. The word ‘for’ is used for a period of time in the past, present or future while ‘since’ is used to point to a time in the past. Both ‘for’ and ‘since’ express duration up to a point in the present, but it is used differently. More accurately we can say that ‘for’ is used to express a specific duration or period of time such as two weeks, ten seconds and an hour etc. on the other hand ‘since’  is used to refer to time, event or moment that starts in past and continues in present. The main difference lies in the point of time and period of time. We will understand it more accurately in the following article through ‘since’ and ‘for’ examples.

For 

When the duration of time is needed to be measured, then ‘for’ is used like when we say how long something lasts. ‘For’ is used to refer to a period of time or event.

For + period: Here period is defined as a duration of time. Hence ‘for’ is related to the beginning of the period to the end of the period such as twenty minutes, four weeks, and two years.

Examples of For

 Some of the examples of ‘for’ are given below:

1. They practice football for three hours every day.

2. They are running for twenty minutes today.

3. He has lived in Agra for a long time.

4. Rakesh has been living in Chandigarh for three years.

5. I worked at that gym as a trainer for two years.

6. She lived here for five years.

Since

‘Since’ is used to express a duration up to the present. It is used when something began in the past and is unfinished. Normally, ‘since’ is used with perfect tenses. 

Since + point: Here the point is defined as a precise moment in time such as 1 o'clock, 3rd of January, Friday etc. Hence ‘since’ is related to a point from the past until now.

Examples of Since

Some examples of ‘since’ are given below:

1. They have been there since 11 am.

2. She has been cooking since they arrived.

3. I had lived in this house since my childhood.

4. It had been six months since he had not seen her.

5. How long has it been since she got promoted?

6. She has been there since 7 o'clock and she is getting tired.

For vs Since

We already know that the main difference between ‘for’ and ‘since’ is that ‘for’ is used with a period of time while the use of ‘since’ is related to a specific point in time. We can use ‘for’ and ‘since’ with similar verb tenses according to need. Here are two examples that will help us to better understand the difference between ‘for’ and ‘since’.

1. He has been studying for two hours.

He has been studying since 3 p.m.

2. They have lived in this building for 25 years.

They have lived in this building since 1975.

We can see that in the above examples, both ‘for’ and ‘since’ show events or incidents that start in the past and continue into the present. ‘Since’ is mostly used with perfect tenses but ‘for’ can be used with other verb tenses also with the future.

Do You Know?

‘For’ and ‘since’ both also have other meanings in sentences that do not have any reference to time. Let’s understand through some examples; (i) This dress is for you. (ii) Is this the bus for Lucknow? (iii) Since you asked for permission, He will say yes. (iv) Since they didn't prepare, they didn't pass the exam.

Conclusion

Hence we are now aware of the uses of ‘for’ and ‘since’ so whenever we are needed to specify a duration of time we will use ‘for’ and to pin a time in the past we will use ‘since’. Some people get confused about the use of ‘for’ and ‘since’. This article is helpful for them to differentiate between the uses of ‘for’ and ‘since’. The use of these words makes the communication more effective and clear.