Understanding the Use of For, Since, and During in English

The prepositions “for,” “since,” and “during” are key elements in expressing time in English. However, they’re frequently misunderstood and misused in sentences. Today, I’ll clarify their meanings and guide you on how to use each one correctly, helping you master these important time-related prepositions.

In English, the words “for,” “since,” and “during” play a crucial role in connecting time with specific verb tenses. They are particularly associated with the present perfect, present perfect continuous, and past continuous tenses, although they can also be used with other tenses. Understanding how to use these words effectively can enhance clarity in your writing and speaking.

For

The preposition for is used to express the duration of an action; the period of an action or event.

For example;

• I’ve lived here for 8 months.
• She was waiting for him for 5 years.
• We haven’t seen each other for a long time.
• How long will you go there for? (Informal. Better as “How long will you be there?”)
• Jane will live in Paris for 6 months.

As you can see, for must be followed by a time interval, that is, an interval of duration or action.

Incidentally, for can be used with practically all verb tenses, especially continuous.

Since

The preposition since is used to indicate a starting point, after which the action continues.

For example:

• I haven’t seen them since 2012.
• It has been raining since morning.
• You haven’t talked about that since Jake left.
• Those people have been in the USA since 1998.
• Since we met, I haven’t stopped thinking of you.

During

The preposition during is used together with nouns and shows that something happens within a certain time period.

For example:

• He fell asleep during the film. He was asleep for half an hour.

Did you notice the difference between for and during? For – the length of time an action occurred; during – when it occurred.

Here are a few more examples of the use of during:

• Jane suddenly began to feel ill during the examination.
• We met a lot of people during our holiday.

Remembering when to use the prepositions “for,” “since,” and “during” is easier than you might think. The key is to form mental associations with specific phrases: think “since 2015” for a starting point in time, “for three hours” to indicate duration, and “during the film” to refer to an event. By creating these word combinations, you’ll clearly understand when to use each preposition in a sentence without any confusion.

Good luck in learning English!