For Two Years or Since 2024?
Explore how to use “for” and “since” for situations that started in the past and are still true now.
Preview
Questions with solutions-
1. Заполните пропуск.
I've lived here ___ two years.
- for
- since
Two years tells you how long.
Show solution
I've lived here for two years.
Use “for” with a length of time. The speaker moved here two years ago and still lives here.
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2. Заполните пропуск.
Maya has had this bike ___ 2024.
- for
- since
2024 tells you when the situation started.
Show solution
Maya has had this bike since 2024.
Use “since” with a starting year. Maya got the bike in 2024 and still has it.
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3. Заполните пропуск.
We've been outside ___ ten minutes.
- since
- for
Ten minutes is a length of time, not a time on a clock.
Show solution
We've been outside for ten minutes.
“For ten minutes” tells us how much time has passed. It does not give the starting time.
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4. Заполните пропуск.
The store has been open ___ nine o'clock.
- since
- for
Nine o'clock is a time on a clock.
Show solution
The store has been open since nine o'clock.
The store opened at nine and is still open. “Since” connects that starting time with now.
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5. Заполните пропуск.
Leo has been sick ___ Monday.
- for
- since
Monday names the starting day.
Show solution
Leo has been sick since Monday.
“Since Monday” means Leo became sick on Monday and is still sick.
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6. Выберите правильный ответ.
Does Rosa still live in this house?
Rosa says, “I've lived in this house for three months.”
- Yes, she still lives there.
- No, she moved out after three months.
Look at “I've lived,” not just “three months.”
Show solution
- Yes, she still lives there.
“I've lived here for…” connects the past with now. “I lived here for…” can describe a finished stay.
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7. Заполните пропуск.
I've wanted a dog ___ a long time.
- since
- for
This phrase tells you how long, without an exact number.
Show solution
I've wanted a dog for a long time.
A length of time does not need a number. “For a long time” is a useful everyday phrase.
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8. Заполните пропуск.
She's worked at the library ___ last summer.
- since
- for
“Last summer” tells you when she started.
Show solution
She's worked at the library since last summer.
“Since last summer” gives a starting time. “For a summer” would describe a length of time.
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9. Заполните пропуск.
I've lived by the sea ___ my whole life.
- for
- since
“My whole life” covers all the years of my life.
Show solution
I've lived by the sea for my whole life.
“For my whole life” describes a length of time. To name the start, you could say “since I was born.”
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10. Заполните пропуск.
I've known Sam ___ we were children.
- for
- since
The words after the gap describe when this started.
Show solution
I've known Sam since we were children.
After “since,” you can use a short sentence about the past, such as “we were children.”
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11. Заполните пропуск.
We haven't seen our neighbors ___ they moved away.
- since
- for
Their move is the starting event.
Show solution
We haven't seen our neighbors since they moved away.
“Since” also works with “haven't.” From the time the neighbors moved away to now, we haven't seen them.
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12. Заполните пропуск.
The garden is very dry. It hasn't rained ___ several weeks.
- since
- for
Several weeks tells you how long there has been no rain.
Show solution
The garden is very dry. It hasn't rained for several weeks.
With “hasn't,” “for” tells us how long something has not happened.
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13. Выберите правильный ответ.
How long has the speaker been at the café?
“It's 10 a.m. now. I've been at this café since 8 a.m. today.”
- For eight hours.
- For ten hours.
- For two hours.
Count the hours from the starting time to now.
Show solution
- For two hours.
“Since” gives the starting time, while “for” gives the length of time between that start and now.
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14. Заполните пропуск.
___ the past few months, we've been very busy.
- For
- Since
The past few months is a length of time ending now.
Show solution
For the past few months, we've been very busy.
A phrase with “for” can come at the start of a sentence. “The past few months” describes how long, not a starting date.
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15. Выберите правильный ответ.
Which sentence has the same meaning?
I started this job three months ago, and I still work here.
- I've worked here since three months.
- I've worked here for three months.
Three months is the time between starting the job and now.
Show solution
- I've worked here for three months.
Use “ago” to say when the job started and “for” to say how long you've worked here.