Buzz
When learning English, especially in understanding perfect tenses, many people often struggle to distinguish between the usage of 'Since' and 'For'. Understanding this, Mytour's article today aims to help you further comprehend Since and For in English.1. What are Since and For?
Since and For are two prepositions indicating time in English, commonly used in perfect tenses. For example:
- She has been playing the piano since she was five years old. (Cô ấy chơi piano kể từ khi cố ấy 5 tuổi.)
- We have been working on this project for a week (Chúng tôi đã làm việc với dự án này được 1 tuần.)
Nevertheless, the meanings and usage of these two prepositions are completely different.
2. Structure of Since and For in English
2.1. Structure of Since
Since is used to describe the point in time when an event/action began. Structure:
Since + point in time
These points in time can be years, times of day, hours, or a clause in the simple past tense referring to a specific point in time.
Ví dụ: Since 7 a.m, since October, since 2000…
Since can be placed at the beginning or middle of a sentence.
For example:
- Since I started working here, I have learned a lot. (Kể từ khi tôi bắt đầu làm việc ở đây, tôi đã học được nhiều điều.)
- I have been interested in this field since I was in high school. (Tôi đã quan tâm đến lĩnh vực này từ khi tôi còn học trung học.)
2.2. Structure of For
For is used to refer to a specific period of time during which an event/action occurs and lasts throughout that period. Structure:
For + period of time
Example: For 2 days, for 4 months, for a long time…
For is often placed in the middle of a sentence to indicate a specific period of time or purpose of an action.
Ví dụ: They have been living in that house for a long time. (Họ đã sống trong căn nhà đó từ lâu.)
3. Usage of Since and For in English
3.1. Usage of Since
- Since được dùng để mô tả mốc thời gian mà sự việc/hành động bắt đầu xảy ra
- Since được dùng trong câu ở các thì hoàn thành.
| Cách dùng Since | Ví dụ
|
| Thì hiện tại hoàn thành | He has been in this company since last year. (Anh ấy đã ở trong công ty này từ năm ngoái.) |
| Thì hiện tại hoàn thành tiếp diễn | They have been waiting for the bus since 6 a.m. (Họ đã đang chờ xe bus từ 6 giờ sáng.) |
| Thì quá khứ hoàn thành | I had known him since we were in college. (Tôi đã biết anh ấy từ khi chúng tôi còn ở trường đại học.) |
| Thì quá khứ hoàn thành tiếp diễn | They had been waiting for two hours since I left. (Họ đã đợi hai giờ kể từ khi tôi rời đi.) |
Additionally, Since also means “because”, similar to Because
Ví dụ: Since he didn’t call, I assumed he was busy. (Bởi vì anh ấy không gọi, tôi cho rằng anh ấy bận.)
3.2. Usage of For
- For được sử dụng để nói đến một khoảng thời gian nhất định mà sự việc/hành động diễn ra và kéo dài.
- For được dùng trong nhiều thì:
| Cách dùng For | Ví dụ |
| Thì hiện tại đơn | She exercises for an hour every day. (Cô ấy tập thể dục một giờ mỗi ngày.) |
| Thì hiện tại hoàn thành tiếp diễn | They have been playing soccer for an hour. (Họ đã chơi bóng đá một giờ.) |
| Thì hiện tại hoàn thành | She has lived in this city for five years. (Cô ấy đã sống ở thành phố này năm năm.) |
| Thì quá khứ tiếp diễn | They were playing chess for hours before they got tired. (Họ đã chơi cờ vua nhiều giờ trước khi mệt.) |
| Thì quá khứ hoàn thành | She had worked there for two years before she quit. (Cô ấy đã làm việc ở đó hai năm trước khi nghỉ việc.) |
| Thì tương lai đơn | She will work on the project for the next two weeks. (Cô ấy sẽ làm việc trên dự án trong hai tuần tới.) |
4. Distinguishing between the usage of Since and For in English
| Phân biệt | Since | For |
| Giống nhau | Since và For đều được sử dụng trong câu với mục đích diễn tả về thời gian xảy ra sự việc/hành động nào đó. | |
| khác nhau | Since + mốc thời gianSince có nghĩa là “từ khi, khi, kể từ khi”Since trả lời cho câu hỏi When?Ví dụ: since 10 o’clock, since Monday, since 2020, since he left… | For + khoảng thời gianFor có nghĩa là “khoảng, trong, trong suốt”For trả lời cho câu hỏi How long?Ví dụ: for 3 days, for 10 minutes, for 2 weeks, for ages, for a long time… |
5. Practical exercises
Fill in “since” or “for” in the blanks for the following sentences:
- I have been living in this city _____ five years.
- They have known each other _____ high school.
- She has been playing the guitar _____ she was a child.
- We have been waiting here _____ morning.
- He has been working on this project _____ a long time.
- It’s been raining continuously _____ yesterday.
- They have been members of the club _____ 2010.
- She hasn’t visited her hometown _____ a few years.
- The store has been closed _____ last Monday.
- He has been traveling around the world _____ a year now.
- We have been friends _____ we were in college.
- I haven’t seen him _____ last month.
- They have been studying English _____ they moved to the United States.
- She has been on a diet _____ a month.
- They haven’t spoken to each other _____ their argument last week.
Answer Key
- I have been living in this city for five years.
- They have known each other since high school.
- She has been playing the guitar since she was a child.
- We have been waiting here since morning.
- He has been working on this project for a long time.
- It’s been raining continuously since yesterday.
- They have been members of the club since 2010.
- She hasn’t visited her hometown for a few years.
- The store has been closed since last Monday.
- He has been traveling around the world for a year now.
- We have been friends since we were in college.
- I haven’t seen him since last month.
- They have been studying English since they moved to the United States.
- She has been on a diet for a month.
- They haven’t spoken to each other since their argument last week.
