{"id":69118,"date":"2026-06-23T09:00:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T06:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.englishcentral.com\/blog\/?p=69118"},"modified":"2026-06-22T16:42:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T13:42:36","slug":"english-for-kids-using-for-and-since-in-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.englishcentral.com\/blog\/en\/english-for-kids-using-for-and-since-in-english\/","title":{"rendered":"English for Kids: Using \u201cFor\u201d and \u201cSince\u201d in English"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Imagine your child wanting to explain in English how long they\u2019ve been playing with their favorite toy since when they\u2019ve been going to basketball practice! In those exact moments, two small but incredibly powerful words come to our rescue: \u201cFor\u201d and \u201cSince.\u201d These two words, which we frequently use in English to describe situations that started in the past and continue today, are actually wonderful tools for children to share their daily lives, hobbies, and memories.<\/p>\n

Even though they might seem very similar at first glance, there is a little secret between them that kids can easily grasp! In this blog post, we are leaving boring grammar rules completely behind and discovering the \u201cFor\u201d and \u201cSince\u201d patterns using the simplest words, fun examples, and a style perfectly tailored to a child\u2019s world. If you’re ready, let\u2019s begin this sweet journey that will bring a touch of time to your child\u2019s English sentences!<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Learn English with EnglishCentral Kids<\/h2>\n

Learning grammar topics like \u201cfor\u201d and \u201csince\u201d that confuses children is actually not difficult at all for them. If you want children to discover English through a natural process, just like learning their mother tongue without getting bored, EnglishCentral Kids is exactly the place you are looking for. With colorful and fun videos that appeal to the world of the little ones, children see live how words are used in sentences, improve their vocabulary with interactive games, and most importantly, practice speaking with expert tutors who understand child language. Meet the worlds of EnglishCentral Kids right now to turn your child\u2019s English journey into a fun adventure and to ensure that your child learns English by speaking without suffocating them with rules.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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When Is \u201cFor\u201d Used?<\/h2>\n

In English, we use the word \u201cfor\u201d when talking about \u201chow long\u201d an action has been going on. So, what matters here is not the start of the time, but the total duration that has passed! When explaining this to children, we can have them imagine a timer or a stopwatch: the answer to the question \u201cExactly how many hours, how many days, or how many years did this take?\u201d always gives us the word \u201cfor\u201d.<\/p>\n

Time Expressions Commonly Used with \u201cFor\u201d<\/h3>\n

We have gathered the most common time periods so that children can understand where they will see the word \u201cfor\u201d in a sentence. If we can count time as a duration or an amount, we use these expressions.
– For 5 minutes<\/strong>
– For 3 hours<\/strong>
– For 4 days<\/strong>
– For 6 months<\/strong>
– For 2 years<\/strong>
– For a long time<\/strong>
– For ages<\/strong><\/p>\n

Example Sentences with \u201cFor\u201d<\/h3>\n

Now, let’s see these time expressions in fun sentences chosen with the simplest words that children can use in their daily lives:
\n– \u201cMy sister slept for 10 hours yesterday.\u201d
\n– \u201cWe have lived in this house for 3 years.\u201d
\n– \u201cHe played with his toy car for an hour.\u201d
\n– \u201cI have been a student at this school for 5 months.\u201d
\n– \u201cThey talked on the phone for 20 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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When Is \u201cSince\u201d Used?<\/h2>\n

In English, we use the word \u201csince\u201d when talking about \u201cexactly when\u201d an action started in the past. So, what matters here is not the total duration that has passed, but that very first moment the action began meaning the starting point! When explaining this to children, we can have them imagine pointing a finger at a specific day, hour, or year in the past on a calendar.<\/p>\n

Time Expressions Commonly Used with \u201cSince\u201d<\/h3>\n

The most common of those clear and specific starting times in the past that children can bring after the word \u201csince\u201d are as follows:
\n– Since Monday<\/strong>
\n– Since 2020<\/strong>
\n– Since 8 o\u2019clock<\/strong>
\n– Since morning<\/strong>
\n– Since last week<\/strong>
\n– Since I was a baby<\/strong>
\n– Since yesterday<\/strong><\/p>\n

Example Sentences with \u201cSince\u201d<\/h3>\n

Now, let’s see these starting times in very simple and understandable example sentences from children’s own worlds:
\n– \u201cI have been at home since morning.\u201d
\n– \u201cWe have been friends since 2022.\u201d
\n– \u201cIt has been raining since yesterday.\u201d
\n– \u201cShe has loved chocolate since she was 5 years old.\u201d
\n– \u201cMy dad has been at work since 9 o\u2019clock.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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What Are the Differences Between \u201cFor\u201d and \u201cSince\u201d?<\/h2>\n

The most fun way to tell the words \u201cfor\u201d and \u201csince\u201d apart is actually hidden in the question we ask our sentence. If we can ask our sentence \u201cHow long did this action last?\u201d and can count the time one by one with our fingers in the answer, the word we are looking for must definitely be \u201cfor\u201d. Because \u201cfor\u201d represents the total amount of time that has passed\u2014meaning the total duration of that process. For example, we should use the word \u201cfor\u201d in all cases that have a number and a time unit in front, such as 3 hours, 5 days, or 2 years.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, if we don’t want to mention the time passed but just want to state \u201cexactly when that action first started\u201d in the past, that’s when \u201csince\u201d comes into play. We ask the word \u201csince\u201d the question \u201cExactly when did this action start?\u201d. Here, we cannot count the time; we just look for the starting point on the calendar. For example, since we always point to the starting point when saying since yesterday, since the year 2020, or since childhood, we use \u201csince\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Frequently Asked Questions About Using \u201cFor\u201d and \u201cSince\u201d in English<\/h2>\n

Let’s take a look at the frequently asked questions about the use of “for” and “since” together.<\/p>\n

Are the words \u201cfor\u201d and \u201csince\u201d only used with the Present Perfect Tense?<\/h3>\n

Generally yes, because these two words describe situations that started in the past and still continue today. However, \u201cfor\u201d can also be used with the Simple Past Tense when describing a period of time that ended in the past. For example, we can say \u201cI lived in London for 2 years\u201d.<\/p>\n

Can a full sentence (subject + verb) come after the word \u201csince\u201d?<\/h3>\n

Yes, it can. After the word \u201csince,\u201d you can use a past event as a starting point, not just a year or a day. The only thing you need to be careful about here is that the sentence following “since” must always be in the past tense (Simple Past). For example: \u201cI have been happy since I bought this toy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Are there alternative words that children can use in daily language instead of \u201cfor\u201d and \u201csince\u201d?<\/h3>\n

When indicating a duration instead of \u201cfor,\u201d sometimes the sentence keeps its meaning even if we don’t use any word at all. For example: \u201cI slept 8 hours\u201d. Instead of \u201csince,\u201d if you want to emphasize that something has been happening from the very start, you can teach your children phrases that are very popular in daily language, such as \u201cfrom the very beginning\u201d or \u201call along\u201d.<\/p>\n

Where are the words \u201cfor\u201d and \u201csince\u201d located in a sentence?<\/h3>\n

Since both of these words are prepositions or conjunctions in English, they always take their place right at the beginning of the time expression or sentence they specify; they never come after the time word. (e.g., since 2020 \/ for 5 hours)
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