"since" vs. "for"

Hello, everyone!

Since the publication of my previous article, I did not write one for a while, and here I am, with yet another article.

In this article, let’s discuss the difference between SINCE?and?FOR.

Theory:?since?vs.?for

Both?since?and?for?make a reference to time but in significantly different ways, as follows:

• Since?is used to refer to a?specific point?in time.
• For?is used to refer to a?duration?of time.

If you haven’t noticed it already, now take a closer look at the opening sentence of this article:

SINCE?the publication of my previous article, I did not write one FOR a while, ….

• ?The publication of my previous article?refers to a?specific point?in time, and we use?since?to refer to that point.
• Now, from that point, the time that has lapsed so far constitutes a?duration?of time, and we use?for?to refer to that duration.

Examples and non-examples

Consider the following examples and non-examples to observe how this difference plays out:

Examples

• I have been a resident of Bangalore?since?2010.?

The year 2010 refers to a?specific point?in time, so the use of?since?is correct.

• I have been a resident of Bangalore?for?13 years.?

A period of 13 years refers to a?duration?of time, so the use of?for?is correct.

• The company has not released an update?since?4.9.7, which was released two years ago.?

The release of 4.9.7 refers to a?specific point?in time, so the use of?since?is correct.

Non-examples

• We have been friends?since?six years.?

A period of six years refers to a?duration?of time, so the use of?for?would have been correct.

• Users have been happy with the company’s products?since?ages.?

The word?ages?refers to a long period,?duration, of time, so the use of?for?would have been correct.

• The company has not released an update?since?two years.?

A period of two years refers to a?duration?of time, so the use of?for?would have been correct.

The case of?from?and the other use of?since

I can hear you asking, “But hey, Vijay, what about the word?from? Is it correct or incorrect to use?from?to refer to time?” And here’s the answer:

The same rule that applies to?since?applies to?from, as well: Use?from?to refer to a specific point in time—and not to refer to a duration.

That way, some of the sentences that you considered previously can also be rewritten, using?from, as follows:

• From?the time of publication of my previous article, I did not write one for a while.?
• I have been a resident of Bangalore?from?2010.?

Equally so, the following sentences will be incorrect when they use?from?instead of?for:

• We have been friends?from?six years.?
• Users have been happy with the company’s products?from?ages.?

And oh, regarding the other use of the word?since, in the sense of?because, you’ll have to wait for another article?for that!

Further learning

To reinforce what you learned from this article?and to pick up on a couple of other nuances related to the use of?since?and?for, check out this?short video.

Test your understanding

To test your understanding of the differences in usage between?since?and?for, try?this short 10-question quiz. If you’ve got a perfect score on that one and find yourself thirsting for more, here’s a slightly longer,?38-question quiz.

Tell me how you fared in the comments section! All the very best!

:)