Since and For are commonly used prepositions in the English language. These two words are used for similar meanings but not for the same purposes.
They work accordingly in the past perfect simple and past continuous tense and relate to what event happens.
English learners often have difficulties using these two words at the proper time. Since and for are primarily utilised for time measurements, they get easily confused as people use different prepositions in the native language.
Key Takeaways
- “Since” is used to indicate a specific time when an action or event began, whereas “for” is used to express the duration of an action or event.
- “Since” is followed by a specific date, time, or event, whereas “for” is followed by a period.
- Examples: “I have been working here since 2010” and “I have been here for ten years.”
Since vs For
The difference between since and for is that since is used to describe the starting point of actions, events, or states and for is used to measure the duration of longness. For is used when we try to mean how long something lasts. The present tense refers to a period that extends into the future. Whereas Since refers to when things began and are used with present perfect or past perfect tense.
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Comparison Table
| Parameter of Comparison | Since | For |
|---|---|---|
| Usage | The word is used as both a preposition and a conjunction. | For is used as a preposition but rarely as a conjunction. |
| Tense | It is used with the present with present or past perfect tense till a later past time till now. | It is an intense preposition used to indicate the person intends to receive or benefit from something. |
| Time | It is used consistently with the present or past perfect tense for a specified period in the past. | It is sometimes used after an adjective or before a noun indicating an unspecified period. |
| As a conjunction | It is used in conjunction with present perfect, past perfect or simple past tense in the main clause, till a later past event or till now. | It is a rare but potent form of conjunction not at the beginning of a sentence. |
| Other use | It is also used as an idiom and adverb in some sentences. | It is sometimes used as an idiom but not as an adverb. |
When to Use the Word Since?
Since it is an essential word in English, it is used as both a preposition and a conjunction.
It is used with the present with present or past perfect tense till a later past time till now.
It is used consistently with the present or past perfect tense for a specified period in the past. It is used in conjunction with present perfect, past perfect or simple past tense in the main clause, till a later past event or till now.
Use of “since” in the tense:
- Present perfect continuous tense: I have been studying since 5 o’clock and am tired.
- Past perfect continuous tense: I had been studying since 5 o’clock and was getting tired.
- Past perfect tense: I have known him since February.
Use of since in time:
- It has been two months since I met her.
- It has been four years since the last Tsunami.
When to Use the Word For?
It is an intense preposition that indicates the person intended to receive or benefit from something. It is sometimes used after an adjective or before a noun meaning an unspecified period.
It is a rare but potent form of conjunction not at the beginning of a sentence.
Use of “for” in the tense:
To say For goes with any tense of grammar.
- Present perfect continuous tense: He has lived in India for three months.
- Past tense: I worked at the service station for five years.
- Present perfect tense: He has lived in Turin for a long time.
- Future tense: He will be hospitalised for at least a week.
- Present tense: They exercise for more than two hours a day.
Use of “for” in time:
- For how long have you been here?
- I have lived here for ten years.
Main Differences Between Since and For
The key differences between them are listed below:
- The word since is used as both a preposition and a conjunction. For is used as a preposition but rarely as a conjunction.
- Since it is also used as an idiom and adverb in some sentences. For is sometimes used as an idiom but not as an adverb.
- It is used consistently with the present or past perfect tense for a specified period in the past. It is sometimes used after an adjective or before a noun indicating an unspecified period.
- It is used with the present with present or past perfect tense till a later past time till now. It is an intense preposition that indicates the person intended to receive or benefit from something.
- The formula for using For is: for + a period. The formula for Since is: since + a particular point of time.
- https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/since
- https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/for_1
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
