Master the Grammar: How to Use Since and For with Present Perfect Correctly

Introduction to How to Use Since and For with Present Perfect Correctly

The present perfect tense connects the past to the present, and nothing highlights this connection better than the correct use of “since” and “for.” Understanding how to use since and for with present perfect is fundamental for expressing time durations accurately in English. Whether you’re writing, speaking, or preparing for an exam, mixing up these two small words can lead to confusion. This article will demystify the rules, provide actionable tips, and solidify your learning with extensive examples.

The Rule: How to Use Since and For with Present Perfect Correctly

• Use FOR with a period of time (duration). It answers “How long?”
• Use SINCE with a specific point in time (starting point). It answers “Since when?”

Important Tips for Students & Exam Candidates:

1. The “Checkpoint” Test: Replace the word in your sentence. If you can say “from [that point] until now,” use SINCE. If you can say “for the period of,” use FOR.
2. Signal Words: Words like all, whole, and number + (hours/days/etc.) always pair with FOR (e.g., for all my life, for three days).
3. Common Exam Trap: “I have been here since two hours.” This is INCorrect. The correct version is “I have been here for two hours.” Remember, “two hours” is a duration, not a point.
4. SINCE can also be a conjunction: “I have known her since we were children.” Here, “we were children” is the starting point clause.
5. Focus on Continuity: The present perfect with since/for often implies the action is still happening or its effect is relevant now. For finished time periods, use the simple past.

100 Examples of How to Use Since and For with Present Perfect

Using FOR (with durations):

1. I have lived here for ten years.
2. She has worked there for six months.
3. They have been married for a decade.
4. He has had his car for a week.
5. We have waited for two hours.
6. It has been raining for days.
7. I have known him for a long time.
8. She has been asleep for the whole afternoon.
9. He has been learning English for three years.
10. The shop has been closed for several weeks.
11. I have owned this book for ages.
12. She has been a doctor for fifteen years.
13. They have been traveling for months.
14. He has been in a meeting for an hour.
15. We have been friends for centuries.
16. The phone has been ringing for five minutes.
17. I have felt sick for a couple of days.
18. She has been gone for a while.
19. He has practiced piano for two hours today.
20. The light has been on for the entire night.
21. I have tried to call you for half an hour.
22. She has saved money for her trip for a year.
23. They have owned that house for generations.
24. He has been sober for five years.
25. The project has been delayed for a fortnight.
26. I have been a member for six months.
27. She has worn glasses for most of her life.
28. They have been dating for a few weeks.
29. He has been unemployed for a period.
30. The treaty has been in effect for decades.
31. I have had this headache for hours.
32. She has been teaching for over twenty years.
33. The machine has been running for too long.
34. He has been my mentor for a long time.
35. We have planned this event for weeks.
36. The document has been signed for days.
37. I have been awake since 5 AM, so I’ve been awake for many hours.
38. She has been cycling for ten miles.
39. They have been silent for the entire film.
40. He has been eligible for the grant for a month.
41. I have been meaning to talk to you for some time.
42. She has been the champion for three consecutive years.
43. The door has been open for a minute.
44. He has been abroad for work for six weeks.
45. The rule has been enforced for all that time.
46. I have studied for this exam for months.
47. She has been the CEO for a short but impactful period.
48. They have been negotiating for the best part of a day.
49. He has been an icon for our generation.
50. The food has been ready for ten minutes.

Using SINCE (with starting points):
51. I have lived here since 2015.
52. She has worked there since January.
53. They have been married since last summer.
54. He has had his car since Tuesday.
55. We have waited since 9 o’clock.
56. It has been raining since morning.
57. I have known him since childhood.
58. She has been asleep since lunchtime.
59. He has been learning English since 2020.
60. The shop has been closed since the fire.
61. I have owned this book since I was a student.
62. She has been a doctor since graduating.
63. They have been traveling since the festival ended.
64. He has been in a meeting since the phone call.
65. We have been friends since our school days.
66. The phone has been ringing since you left the room.
67. I have felt sick since I ate that.
68. She has been gone since the announcement.
69. He has practiced piano since breakfast.
70. The light has been on since dusk.
71. I have tried to call you since I got the news.
72. She has saved money since she got her first job.
73. They have owned that house since the 1980s.
74. He has been sober since his son was born.
75. The project has been delayed since the client changed requirements.
76. I have been a member since last year.
77. She has worn glasses since she was eight.
78. They have been dating since they met at the conference.
79. He has been unemployed since the factory closed.
80. The treaty has been in effect since its ratification.
81. I have had this headache since I woke up.
82. She has been teaching since the new law was passed.
83. The machine has been running since it was installed.
84. He has been my mentor since my first day.
85. We have planned this event since April.
86. The document has been signed since Monday.
87. I have been awake since dawn.
88. She has been cycling since noon.
89. They have been silent since the argument.
90. He has been eligible since turning eighteen.
91. I have been meaning to talk to you since our last meeting.
92. She has been the champion since the previous titleholder retired.
93. The door has been open since the delivery person came.
94. He has been abroad since the project started.
95. The rule has been enforced since the incident.
96. I have studied for this exam since the syllabus was released.
97. She has been the CEO since the company’s restructuring.
98. They have been negotiating since the offer was made.
99. He has been an icon since his debut album.
100. The food has been ready since you were in the shower.

FAQs on How to Use Since and For with Present Perfect Correctly

1. Q: Can we use “since” and “for” with other tenses, or only the present perfect?
A: While most commonly used with the present perfect (and present perfect continuous) to show an action continuing to the present, they can be used with other tenses. For example, in the past perfect: “She had lived there for five years before she moved.” The key is they still follow the same rule: for with duration, since with a starting point.

2. Q: Is it always wrong to say “I am here since Monday”?
A: In standard English, yes. This is a common error. The correct form is “I have been here since Monday” because you need the present perfect tense to show an action that started in the past (Monday) and continues to the present moment.

3. Q: What is the difference between “I have worked here for two years” and “I have worked here since 2022”?
A: There is no difference in meaning; both state that your employment started two years ago (from now) and continues. The first uses a duration (for two years), and the second uses a starting point (since 2022). They are often interchangeable with simple conversion.

Disclaimer on How to Use Since and For with Present Perfect Correctly

This article is intended for educational purposes to explain general grammatical rules. Usage can vary in different dialects and highly specific contexts of the English language. For authoritative sourcing, always refer to standard style guides or examination board specifications.

Conclusion on How to Use Since and For with Present Perfect Correctly

Mastering how to use since and for with present perfect is a clear milestone in achieving grammatical accuracy. By remembering the core rule—FOR for duration, SINCE for a starting point—and practicing with examples like the 100 provided, you can confidently use these terms in both written and spoken English. This knowledge is especially powerful for crafting precise sentences and excelling in competitive examinations where every mark counts.

Also Read: Say vs. Tell: Understanding the Crucial Difference Between Say and Tell

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