English IV – Lesson 1.

1.1 I HAVE BEEN TO PARIS!

FOR and SINCE are used to express time

 FOR denotes the whole period of time ( duration) :

for one year - for two weeks - for a long time -

for three months

 SINCE only shows the moment when the action :

started ( a specific time) since last Monday

since I was born -

examples:

For/since
The words for and since are used in sentences where the speaker wants to talk
about something that started in the past and continues into the present.

For is used when specifying the amount of time (how long):

 I've had this watch for more than 40 years.

 I've only known her for a few weeks.
 He's been here for 6 months and still can't speak a word of German.
 She's been smoking for a long time. No wonder she coughs so much!

Since is used when specifying the starting point:

 I've had this watch since 1965.

 I've only known her since the beginning of last week.
 He's been here since April and he still can't speak a word of German.
 She's been smoking since she started grade 5. No wonder she coughs so
much!

Note: The present perfect or present perfect continuous are needed in such
sentences. It is wrong to say:

- I know her for two years.

- I know her since 2006.
Exercise 1:

Complete the following exercise with FOR or SINCE.

1- Nobody has come to see us we bought this small house.

2- She has been a doctor 1998.

3- Nobody has seen her then.

4- They have all been ill last week.

5- Peter went to the library. He has studied there a long time.

6- It has been very foggy early morning.

7- I’ve worked with you nine years.

8- He has been in prison two years.

9- She has worked in that office a month.

10- He hasn’t eaten anything twenty-four hours.

11- He hasn’t eaten anything yesterday.

12- They haven’t spoken to us we were at school.

13- I haven’t talked to her my birthday.

14- She’s been ill years.

15- I’ve been very patient with you several years.

16- I’ve had this job three months

17- I’ve known her we both studied in London.

18- We’ve lived in Germany 1997

19- They’ve had this car April.

20- Things have changed I was in your house.

Exercise 2:

Choose the best answer.

1 - FOR/SINCE six weeks.

2 - FOR/SINCE Sunday.

3 - FOR/SINCE this morning.

4 - FOR/SINCE a long time.

5 - FOR/SINCE breakfast time.

6 - FOR/SINCE 1967.