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Since VS For

Stop saying "I live here since three years"! Learn the one simple question that tells you whether to use "since" or "for" every single time. In just 5 minutes, you'll master this common mistake and sound natural when talking about time....
Stop saying "I live here since three years"! Learn the one simple question that tells you whether to use "since" or "for" every single time. In just 5 minutes, you'll master this common mistake and sound natural when talking about time.
Pronunciation

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Conversation

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Key Points

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The Golden Rule:

  1. FOR = Duration — answers “How long?” — FOR est suivi d’une durée (quantité de temps qu’on peut compter)
  2. SINCE = Starting point — answers “When did it begin?” — SINCE est suivi d’un point précis dans le temps

Key Expressions with FOR:

  1. “I’ve studied English for three years” — J’étudie l’anglais depuis trois ans — “Three years” is a countable duration → FOR
  2. “I’ve been waiting for 20 minutes” — J’attends depuis 20 minutes — A measurable amount of time → FOR
  3. “I haven’t seen you for ages” — Je ne t’ai pas vu depuis une éternité — Informal but very common in everyday English

Key Expressions with SINCE:

  1. “I’ve been here since 9 AM” — Je suis ici depuis 9h — A specific time on the clock → SINCE
  2. “I’ve used this phone since 2022” — J’utilise ce téléphone depuis 2022 — A specific year → SINCE
  3. “I haven’t seen him since last Tuesday” — Je ne l’ai pas vu depuis mardi dernier — A specific day → SINCE

Quick Test — “Can I count it?”:

  1. If YES (a number/amount: three years, two months, five hours) → use FOR
  2. If NO (a point on the calendar/clock: January, 3 PM, last week, my birthday) → use SINCE

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

  1. “I live here since three years” → “I’ve lived here FOR three years” — three years is a duration, not a starting point
  2. “I know her for 2020” → “I’ve known her SINCE 2020” — 2020 is a specific year, not a duration
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