Class 9 Interact With English | Unit 1 Solutions | Since and For

Exercise 9

Since and for

The time expressions since and for indicate the duration of an action.

We use for to say how long something lasts.

• It has been raining for two hours.
• The house has been empty for six months.

Since gives the starting point of actions or events. It says when things began.

• It has been raining since morning.
• The house has been empty since January.

Note that we often use the present perfect or present perfect continuous tenses with since and for.

• I have been learning classical dance for six months. (NOT I am learning classical dance for six months.)
• It has been raining since morning. (NOT It is raining since morning.)

Grammar exercise

Complete the following sentences using since or for.

1. He has been looking for a job …………………… February. (since / for)

2. I have been running this blog ……………… ten years. (for / since)

3. He has been jobless ……………… six months. (since / for)

4. They have known each other ……………… their school days. (since / for)

5. I have known him ……………… twenty years. (for / since)

6. I haven’t seen Mitra ……………….. Diwali. (since / for)

7. We have been good friends …………………. university days. (since / for)

8. It has been a long time ………………. our last meeting. (since / for)

9. I once studied the piano ………………… six months. (for / since)

10. How long have you been here …………..? (since / for)

Answers

1. He has been looking for a job since February.

2. I have been running this blog for ten years.

3. He has been jobless for six months.

4. They have known each other since their school days.

5. I have known him for twenty years.

6. I haven’t seen Mitra since Diwali.

7. We have been good friends since university days.

8. It has been a long time since our last meeting.

9. I once studied the piano for six months.

10. How long have you been here for?

Exercise 9

Which expressions go with since and which go with for?

(last week, a short time, a decade, Deepavali, the day before yesterday, centuries, June, 22nd June, several weeks, 2009, 6 months, ages)

Expressions with since

• Since last week
• Since Deepavali
• Since the day before yesterday
• Since June
• Since 22nd June
• Since 2009

Expressions with for

• For a short time
• For centuries
• For several weeks
• For six months
• For ages

Exercise 10

Choose three ‘since’ expressions and three ‘for’ expressions from the table above. Then write six sentences using the pattern given below.

I haven’t seen him since the day before yesterday.

I have not seen him for ages.

Solution

I have been learning English for six months.

We have waited for centuries.

I have known him for a decade.

I haven’t met him since June.

We have lived here since 2009.

He has been absent since last week.