1. During: Talking About the Middle of a Time Period
We use “during” to talk about the period when something happens or happened. Basically, if you use "during," you are talking about the time period in which something happened.
You can use terms like:
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during the holidays
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during high school
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during the game
This means while the holidays were happening, while I was in high school, or while the game was happening — in the middle of these periods or activities.
Example sentences:
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He called me during class. → I was in class when he called me.
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She kept looking at her phone during the movie. → In the middle of the movie, she continued to look at her phone.
So, during the movie, during class, during the holidays, during high school, during the game — you’re thinking about activities in the middle of a period.
2. For: Talking About the Length of Time
When you use “for”, you add the length of time that something happens. Basically, "for" answers the question: How long?
You can say:
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for two minutes
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for five days
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for three hours
Example sentences:
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We talked for an hour.
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They’ve been together for 15 years.
If someone asks, “How long have you been studying English?” you can answer:
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I have been studying English for 10 years, 5 years, 5 minutes.
“For” is all about the duration of time, the period, the length of time that something happens.
3. Since: Talking About When Something Started or Last Happened
“Since” refers to the period when something started or happened. We’re always concerned with the past when we use "since," and also the last time that something happened.
You can say:
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since last year
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since Monday
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since college
Example sentences:
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I haven’t seen him since high school. → High school was the last time I saw him.
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She has worked here since 2023. → This is when she started working here.
When you use "since," you typically use the present perfect tense because you are connecting the past to the present.
A quick note: In casual speech, some people say “since five years ago”, but it’s more common and correct to say “for five years”.
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