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Unit 13 For and Since (When and How Long)

The document discusses the use of for and since to indicate duration or a period of time. For is used with a specific period ("for two hours"), while since indicates a starting point ("since 8:00"). It also compares questions using when versus how long, and provides examples of sentences using it's been...since to express how long it has been since something occurred. There are also exercises asking the reader to complete sentences using for and since correctly based on example situations.

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Jasmin Manalo Aquino
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92 views

Unit 13 For and Since (When and How Long)

The document discusses the use of for and since to indicate duration or a period of time. For is used with a specific period ("for two hours"), while since indicates a starting point ("since 8:00"). It also compares questions using when versus how long, and provides examples of sentences using it's been...since to express how long it has been since something occurred. There are also exercises asking the reader to complete sentences using for and since correctly based on example situations.

Uploaded by

Jasmin Manalo Aquino
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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For and since

When…? and
How long…?
A.
We use for and since to say how long something has been happening?
We use for + a period of time We use since + the start of a period
(two hours, six weeks, etc.) (8:00, Monday, 1999, etc.)
 I’ve been waiting for two hours.  I’ve been waiting since 8:00.

for two hours Since 8:00

two hours ago now 8:00 now

for since
two hours a long time a week 8:00 April lunchtime
20 minutes six months ages Monday 1985 we arrived
five days 50 years years May 12 Christmas yesterday
 Kelly has been working here for six  Kelly has been working here since April.
months. (not since six months) (= from April until now)
 I haven’t seen Tom for three days.  I haven’t seen Tom since Monday.

It is possible to leave out for (but not in negative sentences):


 They’ve been married (for) 10 years. (with or without for)
 They haven’t had a vacation for 10 years. (you must use for)
We do not use for + all… (all day / all my life, etc.):
 I’ve lived here all my life. (not for all my life)
You can use in instead of for in negative sentences:
 They haven’t had a vacation in 10 years.
B.
Compare When…? (+ simple past) and How long…? (+ present perfect):
A: When did it start raining?
B: It started raining an hour ago / at 1:00.

A: How long has it been raining?


B: It’s been raining for an hour / since 1:00.

A: When did Joe and Carol first meet?

B: They first met {


a longthey
when timewere
ago.in high school.

C. A: How long have they known each other?

B: They’ve known each other { for a long


since they time.
were in high school.

D.
We say “It’s (= It has) been a long time / two years, etc., since something happened?
 It’s been two years since I saw Joe. (= I haven’t seen Joe for two years)
 It’s been ages since we went to the movies. (= We haven’t gone to the movies
for ages)

You can ask “How long has it been since…?”


 How long has it been since you saw Joe? (= When did you last see Joe?)
 How long has it been since Mrs. Hill died? (= When did Mrs. Hill die?)
Exercises
13.1 Write for or since.
1. since
It’s been raining ___________________ lunchtime.
2. Sarah has lived in Chicago ___________ 1995.
3. Joe has lived in Dallas _____________ 10 years.
4. I’m tired of waiting. We’ve been sitting here ____________ an hour.
5. Kevin has been looking for a job _____________ he graduated.
6. I haven’t been to a party _______________ ages.
7. I wonder how Joe is. I haven’t seen him ______________ last week.
8. Jane is away at college. She’s been away ___________ last August.
9. The weather is dry. It hasn’t rained _____________ a few weeks.
13.2 Write questions with how long and when.
1. It’s raining.
How long has it been raining?
(how long?) ________________________________________________________________________
When did it start raining?
(when?) ___________________________________________________________________________
2. Kate is studying Japanese?
(how long / study?) _________________________________________________________________
(when / start?) _____________________________________________________________________
3. I know Jeff.
(how long / you / know?) ___________________________________________________________
(when / you / meet?) _______________________________________________________________
4. Rebecca and David are married.
(how long?) ________________________________________________________________________
(when / get?) ______________________________________________________________________
13.3 Read the situations and complete the sentences.
1. It’s raining. It’s been raining since lunchtime. It __________________________ at lunchtime.
started raining
2. Ann and Sue are friends. They met years ago. _________________________________ years.
3. They’ve been friends for
Mark is sick. He got sick on Sunday. He has __________________________________ Sundays.
4. Mark is sick. He got sick a few days ago. He has __________________________ a few days.
5. Sarah is married. She’s been married for a year. She got _____________________________.
6. You have a headache. It started when you woke up.
I’ve _____________________________________________________________________ I woke up.
7. Megan has been in France for the last three weeks.
She went __________________________________________________________________________.
8. You’re working in a hotel. You started six months ago.
I’ve _______________________________________________________________________________.
13.4 Write B’s sentences using the words in parentheses.
1. A: Do you take vacations often?
B: (no / five years) __________________________________________________________________
2. A: Do you see Laura often?
B: (no / about a month) ____________________________________________________________
3. A: Do you go to the movies often?
B: (no / a long time) ________________________________________________________________
4. A: Do you eat out often?
B: (no / ages) ______________________________________________________________________
Now write B’s answers again. This time use It’s been… since… .
5. (1) ___________________________________________________________________________
6. (2) No, it’s ____________________________________________________________________
7. (3) No, _______________________________________________________________________
8. (4) ___________________________________________________________________________

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