What is the use of For and Since in English Grammar? Explained in Detail.
In the perfect continuous tenses (present perfect continuous, past perfect continuous, and future perfect continuous), the words "for" and "since" are used to indicate the duration of an action that has been or will be ongoing.
1."For" is used to describe a specific length of time. It is followed by a length of time, such as a number of days, weeks, months, or years. For example:
- I have been waiting for three hours. (The action of waiting started in the past and has lasted for a specific length of time.)
- They had been working on the project for six months. (The action of working on the project started in the past and lasted for a specific length of time.)
- I will have been studying for the exam for three hours by the time my tutor arrives. (The action of studying will have lasted for a specific length of time by a certain point in the future.)
2. "Since" is used to describe a specific point in time. It is followed by a specific time, such as a date, a day of the week, or a specific moment. For example:
- I have been waiting since noon. (The action of waiting started at a specific point in time in the past and has continued up until now.)
- They had been working on the project since Monday. (The action of working on the project started at a specific point in time in the past and continued up until some point in the past.)
- I will have been studying for the exam since this morning by the time my tutor arrives. (The action of studying will have started at a specific point in time in the past and will have continued up until a certain point in the future.)
I hope you have understood it, if there is any confusion you can ask me in the comments
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english grammar