What is the Difference Between For and Since?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The difference between "for" and "since" lies in their usage in sentences and the time references they imply.
- For:
- Used to show a period of time, in the past, present, or future.
- Followed by a duration of time, such as seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, or years.
- Can be used with various verb tenses.
- Examples: "I have been walking for five hours" and "We have lived here for 20 years".
- Since:
- Used to refer to a specific point of time in the past, present, or future.
- Followed by a finished point in time, such as a day, month, or year.
- Typically used with the present perfect tense to describe an action or situation that began in the past and continues in the present.
- Examples: "We have been married since 1996" and "I've been traveling since 2012".
In summary, "for" is used to express a period of time, while "since" refers to a specific point in time. Both prepositions can be used with similar verb tenses, but their usage depends on the context and the time reference being discussed.
Comparative Table: For vs Since
Here is a table summarizing the differences between the prepositions "for" and "since":
| Feature | For | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Used to show a period of time | Used to refer to a specific starting time |
| Usage | Denotes a duration of time in the past, present, or future | Indicates a time when an action began in the past and is still ongoing |
| Examples | I was waiting for an hour. | Raj has been living in London since 2003. |
- The preposition "for" is used to show a period of time, such as "I was waiting for an hour" or "Bruce has been traveling for the past two weeks".
- The preposition "since" refers to a specific starting time, indicating that an action began in the past and is still ongoing, such as "Raj has been living in London since 2003" or "Shanti has been working as a content writer since 2018".
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