For vs Since - Easy Exercises

For and since are common with the present perfect because they connect the past to now. Use for with a duration, or length of time: "I have lived here for five years." Use since with the starting point: "I have lived here since 2021." The action or situation began in the past and continues now, so the time phrase explains the link between the beginning and the present.

The easiest way to choose is to ask the right question. For answers "How long?": for two days, for a month, for ages. Since answers "Since when?": since Monday, since January, since I was a child. A period of time needs for; a point in time, date, or past event needs since. Both forms are useful for work, study, friendships, homes, and routines. The verb often stays the same; the preposition changes because the time phrase changes in each full sentence you read.