In the English Language, prepositions play an essential role. Two among the most commonly used prepositions are ‘for’ and ‘since’. As both prepositions indicate time, it might be slightly confusing. Go through the article to learn the meanings, usage and the difference between these words. Unknowingly, often they make the mistake of using ‘for’ instead of ‘since’ and vice versa. The points which will be discussed below in the article will help you know when and how you can use the prepositions ‘for’ and ‘since’. Let’s take a look at the points:
- Table Summarising the Difference between For and Since
- The Difference between For and Since – Meanings and Usage
- Examples of For and Since
Table Summarising the Difference between For and Since
| For | Since | |
| Meaning | The word ‘for’ is used to show a period of time, in the past, present or future. | The word ‘since’ is used to refer to a time (an action that begun in the past and is still continuing). |
| Usage | It is used as a preposition. | It is used as a preposition. |
| Example | I was waiting for an hour. | We have been married since 1996. |
The Difference between For and Since – Meanings
The preposition ‘for’ is used to denote a specific amount of time in which someone or something was performing an action. For example, ‘I have been looking for my dog for some time now.’ Here, ‘for some time now’ represents not an exact but particular amount of time. The word ‘since’, on the other hand, refers to a particular point of time from when the action started/began in the past to the present. It indicates that the action is continuing. For example, ‘Raj has been living in London since 2003.’
Examples of For and Since
Here are a few more examples to help you understand how the two prepositions are used.
- Bruce has been travelling for the past two weeks.
- Neethu will be here for a few hours.
- I have known you since you were a kid.
- Shanti has been working as a content writer since 2018.
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