Essential Grammar in Use. Unit 19. For / Since / Ago

 A. for and since

We use for and since to say how long:

Helen is in Ireland. She has been there

  • for three days.
  • since Monday.
We use for + a period of time
(three days / two years etc.):

For

  • three days
  • an hour
  • a week
  • a month
  • five years
  • ten minutes
  • two hours
  • four weeks
  • six months
  • a long time
Richard has been in Canada for six months. (not since six months)

We`ve been waiting for two hours. (not since two hours)

I`ve lived in London for a long time.

We use since + the start of the period
(Monday / 9 o`clock etc.)

Since

  • Monday
  • 9 o`clock
  • 24 July
  • January
  • 1985
  • Wednesday
  • 12:30
  • Christmas
  • I was ten years old
  • we arrived
Richard has been in Canada since January. (= from January to now)

We`ve been waiting since 9 o`clock. (= from 9 o`clock to now)

I`ve lived in London since I was ten years old.

B. 

Ago

ago = before now:

  • Susan started her new job three weeks ago. (= three weeks before now)
  • 'When did Tom go out?' 'Ten minutes ago.' (= ten minutes before now)
  • I had dinner an hour ago.
  • Life was very different a hundred years ago.
We use ago with the past (started / did / had / was etc.).

Compare ago and for:

  • When did Helen arrive in Ireland?
    She arrived in Ireland three days ago.
  • How long has she been in Ireland?
    She has been in Ireland for three days.

Exercises

41. Complete the sentences with for (for ten minutes etc.), since (since 5 o`clock etc.) or ago (two hours ago etc.). Use your own ideas.

  1. You can`t be hungry. You had lunch half an hour ago.
  2. Jane is fed up (втомилася). Her friend is late. She`s been waiting for an hour / since 3 o`clock.
  3. I don`t live in London now. I moved to Paris three years ago.
  4. I now live in Paris. I`ve been here for three years / since 2012.
  5. Tom`s grandfather died 10 years ago.
  6. Maggie`s got flu (захворіти на грип). She`s been in bed since Monday / for three days.
  7. Sue and Richard got married five years ago and their first child was born two years ago.
  8. I like Mary`s hair. She`s had it in that style since the summer / for a month.
  9. How long have you lived in the place where you`re living now? For three years / since 2019. 
  10. When did you last play a sport? One day ago.
  11. How long have you had this phone? For four years.
  12. When did you start doing this exercise? Since 12:00 / for half an hour.
  13. How long have you been a student? For nine years / since 2015.
  14. When did you last buy a pair of shoes? Year ago.
  15. How long have you been able (здатний) to speak English? Since I was ten years old.
42. Complete the postcard with the Present Perfect Simple, the Present Perfect Continuous or the Past Simple.

We arrived here in Cape Town six days ago. I can`t believe we`ve been here since last Sunday - we`ve done such a lot. At the moment we`ve waiting for a boat to take us on a trip round the harbour. But it`s late. We`ve been waiting for about half an hour. David flew in 24 hours ago, but he`s been in bed since he arrived. He`s got a horrible cold - he`s had it for a week. The weather is a bit strange - rain for five days, but today the sun is shining. It`s been shining since we got up this morning.
Two days ago we went to visit my aunt Nina - she`s lived here for more than 20 years. She got married a year ago. She`s known Alfie for years - so I`ve got a new uncle!
Hey great! The boat has arrived. Bye for now.
Kristen

43. Write a sentence for each situation. Use the Present Perfect Continuous (has / have been doing etc.) + for / since.

  1. Sam and I arranged to meet (домовилися зустрітися) at the library at 4 o`clock. I arrived on time but I`m still waiting for Sam to arrive.
    I`ve been waiting for Sam since 4 o`clock.
  2. John started his phone call 20 minutes ago and he`s still talking.
    John`s been talking for 20 minutes.
  3. Olga and Peter are tired. They started walking six hours ago and they`re still walking.
    They`ve been walking for six hours.
  4. You started watching TV at 9 o`clock this morning and you`re still watching it.
    You`ve been watching TV since 9 o`clock this morning.
  5. Laura felt sick at lunchtime today and she`s still feeling sick.
    Laura`s been feeling sick since lunchtime.
  6. Fred got on the Trans-Europe express train on the 28th of June. Today it`s the 30th of June fnd he`s still travelling.
    Fred`s been travelling for two days / since June 28th.
  7. I hate this weather. It started raining 12 hours ago and it`s still raining.
    It`s been raining for 12 hours.

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