Prepositions are a particular class of words in the English Language that expresses spatial or temporal relations. Preposition also helps to denote the semantic roles of the subject or object in the sentence.
A preposition combines with a noun or a pronoun. Prepositions come before a complement in a sentence.ย However, there is an exception to this role for the prepositions โagoโ and โnotwithstandingโ, which come after the compliment. Prepositions are of two types, they are
- Prepositions of time
- Prepositions of place
There are no rules to using a preposition. However, it is good to determine the type of preposition, as it helps in framing grammatically structured sentences.
Prepositions are words that denote the position, location, direction, and time that cannot be shown otherwise.ย The preposition types can be further categorized into specific units. While doing so, two prepositions significantly mention the time factor; Since and From.
Key Takeaways
- โSinceโ indicates a specific point in time or event that marks the beginning of a period. โFormโ is used to indicate the starting point of a duration of time or a location.
- โSinceโ is often used with a specific date or time. โFormโ is often used with a period or a starting location.
- โSinceโ and โformโ indicate time or location; they have different meanings and uses.
Since vs From
The term โsinceโ can be used to define the beginning of any time period. For example, she has been cooking since morning. This shows that she started the cooking in the morning. The term โfromโ can be used to define the starting period of time. This term can also be used to specify location. It can also be used to connect two parts of a sentence.ย

These two words have their prominence in different contexts. Both comments can be used to mention the time factor in a sentence.
For E.g.
- John has lived here since 2008.
- John has lived here from 2008 till 2019.
On analyzing the sentences mentioned above, the aspects noticed are
- Both sentences say that John has lived in that place since 2008.
- The second sentence gives complete information about Johnโs whereabouts.
- The first sentence does not give complete information.
Comparison Table
Parameter of Comparison | Since | From |
---|---|---|
Technical Difference | โSinceโ offers an unfinished statement. For E.g. I have been living here since 1998. It means โIโ have been living and continue to live. | โFromโ offers a finished statement. For E.g. I have been living from 1998 till 2008. โIโ have been living and completed living in the year 1998. The sentence is covered between two points in time. |
Tense forms | โSinceโ cannot be used other than perfect tenses. | โFromโ can be used in any tense form. |
Different Synonyms | โSinceโ has a dual meaning depending on the context. It additionally means โ due to the factโ or because. For E.g. Since it was raining, the match was abandoned. | โFromโ has a single meaning, and that means. |
Time of Reference | โSinceโ can refer only to past time. | โFromโ can refer to any time. |
Location | Though โsinceโ has a dual meaning, it cannot denote any location. | โFromโ can be used to denote a location. |
When to Use Since?
โSinceโ is a preposition used in English that denotes the time factor. The word โSinceโ indeed mentions the happening of an event from the past to the present or time in the past.
For E.g.
- She has been suffering from this trouble since she was sixteen.
- We have been walking since 6โO Clock.
If noticed clearly, โSinceโ is the word used before a point in time in the sentence.ย
โSinceโ 6โOโ Clock
โSinceโ she was sixteen.
Hence, โSinceโ is the word that denotes a point in time in the sentence.ย
I. โSinceโ is the word used to mention the happening that has changed or happened earlier and continues till the present.
For E.g.
- The dog has been howling since last night.
- I have been reading this book since last week.
The above two sentences have 2 critical inferences.
- The โeventโ or the โhappeningโ is continuing.
- The sentences are in the present perfect tense.
โSinceโ is the word that features in the present perfect or present perfect continuous tense.
It can also be seen that using โSinceโ has established that the โeventโ has started then.
โSinceโ is also used in conjunction to denote a reason.
For E.g.
- He did not come to work since he was sick.
- Since his grandfather died, he did not turn up to the party.

When to Use From?
โFromโ is a preposition used in English to denote time. It is also used in various contexts to establish relationships between two sentence parts.
I. In general, โFromโ indicates the position of a location in space.
For E.g.
- She went away from the house.
- He walked away from the restaurant.
Both these sentences give the place of reference by using the word โFromโ.
II. โFromโ is predominantly used to indicate the time factor to give completeness to the sentence.
For E.g.
- The event will run from 6 PM to 11 PM.
- The wedding is from 4 PM to 6 PM.
III. โFromโ denotes the source of a thing or a person.
For E.g.
- He is from London.
- The consignment came from New Jersey.
IV. โFromโ is also used to indicate a rangeย
For E.g.
- The age group for this event starts from 16 to 60 years.
- The temperature range from 100 degrees to 300 degrees Celsius.
V. โFromโ is also used to indicate a point.
For E.g.
- You will be able to see the mountain from there.
- Can you see the tower from here?
VI. โFromโ indicate the source of knowledge
For E.g.
- I read a lot of news in the newspapers.
- I studied well from the books given by the Professor.
โFromโ is a versatile word with varied usage in English. It ranges from the point in time to the location.

Main Differences Between Since and From
- The main difference between Since and From is โSinceโ gives an unfinished statement of the time, while Since gives a finished view of time.
- โSinceโ can be used only in perfect tense forms, while โFromโ can be used in any tense form.
- โSinceโ can also be used in different contexts and has a different meaningโ โdue to the fact or because, while the word โFromโ is also used in various aspects but does not change the meaning.
- โSinceโ can refer only to the time that has passed, while โFromโ can denote any time. E.g., He will be available at the office from 11 AM to 4 PM. The sentence is in the future tense, while the word โSinceโ cannot be used in such contexts.
- โSinceโ is a word which can denote only a point in time and also denote reasons and cannot help pointing out location, while โFromโ can also denote locations.

- https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/from
- https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/since

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.