Mistake: Since vs For

since = point; for = period.

Examples

• since Monday
• for three days

Key rules

• Since is used with a point in time: since Monday, since 2020
• For is used with a period of time: for three days, for two years
• Use the present perfect with both in most sentences

Common mistakes

• I have lived here for 2020 → I have lived here since 2020
• I have lived here since two years → I have lived here for two years

Use cases

• Talking about experiences
• Describing how long something has lasted
• Writing a CV