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For and Since: Duration & Starting Points Explained

For and Since: Duration & Starting Points Explained

Learn how to effectively use "for" and "since" in English to express duration and starting points, unravelling their functions as prepositions and conjunctions.

Contents
  1. For
  2. Since

The article explores the usage of the prepositions "for" and "since" in the English language. These two words play important roles in conveying information about the duration and starting point of actions or states.

For

When we use "for," we are referring to the duration or length of time that an action or state has persisted. It serves as a preposition, connecting the action or state to a specific time frame.

For example, consider the sentence "I have lived in London for seven years." In this case, "for" tells us how long the person has been living in London - seven years.

Since

We use since when we are talking about when the action or state started. It can function both as a preposition (eg: 'since five o'clock') and a conjunction (eg: 'since I met her').

As a preposition, it highlights the specific time or event from which the action or state originated.

For instance, "I have lived in London since 1997" tells us when I started living in London (the year 1997 is the point when the I began living in London).

As a conjunction, it links the time of an event to the current situation or state.

For instance, consider the sentence "I have been happy since I met her." Here, "since" functions as a conjunction, connecting the time of meeting the person to the current state of happiness.

In summary, "for" is used to express the duration of an action or state, serving as a preposition, while "since" is utilised to convey the starting point of an action or state and can function as both a preposition and a conjunction. Understanding the appropriate usage of these words is essential for effectively conveying time-related information in English.

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