Grammar · By CoCap · Published · Updated · 3 min read
Since tells us when it started
Imagine a timeline. “Since” marks its starting point. The situation continues from that point to the time you are talking about. The starting point can be a date, a day, a clock time or an event.
I have lived in Delhi since 2024.
2024 is the starting point; I still live there.
She has worked here since Monday.
Monday is when the work began.
We have known each other since we were at school.
The starting point is an event, not just a date.
For tells us how long
“For” gives the length of time. It does not tell us the exact start date. Two minutes, six months and many years are durations. “For” can also describe finished situations; the tense tells you whether the situation continues.
I have lived in Delhi for two years.
The situation continues; two years is its duration.
I lived in Delhi for two years, then moved to Pune.
This situation is finished. “For” still describes its duration.
Please wait for five minutes.
“For” is not restricted to the present perfect.
Fix “I am working here since two years”
There are two separate decisions. First, “two years” is a duration, so choose “for”, not “since”. Second, if the work started in the past and continues now, “I have been working here for two years” is a natural way to express it.
“I have worked here for two years” is also possible. You do not need to choose the continuous form every time. The verb, meaning and context affect which version sounds most natural.
I have been working here since July.
Use “since” because July is a starting point.
Try four quick sentences
Choose “since” or “for” before looking at the answers. Then say one truthful sentence about your own life. This final sentence matters more than getting through a long list of blanks.
- I have studied English ___ six months.
- She has been here ___ 9 a.m.
- We waited ___ twenty minutes yesterday.
- I have known him ___ 2020.
Answers: for, since, for, since.
Six months and twenty minutes are durations. 9 a.m. and 2020 are starting points.
I have been learning English for six months.
Change the duration so the sentence is true for you.
Make it yours
A little practice, right here.
Say your answer aloud or write it below. Try first, then compare an example.
Challenge 50% · Answer fully, then add a reason, time, place or example.
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1. Choose since or for: I have lived here ___ two years.
Compare an example
I have lived here for two years.
Two years is a duration. Use since with a starting point, such as since 2024.
A different clear answer can work too. Check the meaning and the pattern.
2. Describe an activity that still continues, once with its start and once with its duration.
Compare an example
I have studied here since Monday. I have studied here for three days.
The fictional sentences distinguish a starting point from a duration. Adapt both so they are true for you.
A different clear answer can work too. Check the meaning and the pattern.
Your turn · No sign-in needed
Use since for a starting point and for for a duration in a personal example.
Speak aloud or write somewhere private. This page does not record or collect your answer. Progress resets when you leave.
1. Try it in your own words
Choose one activity that still continues. Make one sentence with its starting point and a second with its duration.
2. Compare one useful change
Compare a worked example
This is a fictional example. Keep your own facts and experience.
First attempt: I am studying here since two years.
Clearer version: I have studied here for two years. I have studied here since 2024.
For introduces a duration; since introduces a starting point. These examples describe a situation continuing now. If it has finished, the tense and context may change.
3. Change the situation
Now say that the activity finished last year. Explain the finished period using a past-tense sentence, such as “I studied there for two years.”
A clear answer can be different from the example. Use the checks to decide what to improve.
Keep the conversation going
Continue with this guide in Kyra. Sign-in may be required. Your answer and self-check are not transferred.
Read the practice prompt and sources
Using CoCap’s since-and-for guide, ask me about one activity that still continues. Let me make two sentences, one with a starting point and one with a duration. Explain one correction, then test a finished-time example. Do not claim my level from one answer.
- https://www.cocap.in/blog/since-and-for-in-english
- https://www.cocap.in/blog/daily-english-speaking-practice
AI can make mistakes. Check advice against the source guide.
Common questions
Can I say “since two years”?
Not when you mean a duration. Say “for two years”. Use “since” with a starting point, such as “since 2024” or “since last Monday”.
Does “for” always need the present perfect?
No. It also works with other tenses and requests: “I stayed for a week” and “Wait for five minutes”. Choose the tense from the meaning, not just the word “for”.
Examples are educational, not promises of exam, interview or fluency outcomes. Found an error? Tell CoCap.