Elementary 📐 Grammar · #74 of 305

Present Perfect: For and Since

for + duration; since + starting point.

Examples

  • for two years
  • since 2020

Key rules

  • for + a period of time: for two years
  • since + a starting point: since 2020
  • The action started in the past and continues now
  • Use present perfect, not present simple

Common mistakes

  • I live here since 2020 → I have lived here since 2020
  • I have waited for 9 am → I have waited since 9 am
💡 Tip: Duration uses for, starting moment uses since.
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Related Elementary topics

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Past Simple: Regular Verbs

Add -ed to finish actions in the past.

Past Simple: Irregular Verbs

Many common verbs have special past forms.

Past Simple: Negatives and Questions

Use did/didn't + base verb.

Was and Were

Past forms of be.

Past Continuous

was/were + -ing for actions in progress in the past.

Past Simple vs Past Continuous

Use continuous for background; simple for interrupting events.