Explanation

1. For and since

Error Source.

For and Since pose problems for German learners of English because the two words are translated in German with one word, Seit; a word that resembles the English word Since and means since but not in all contexts.

Unlike in German there is a difference between SINCE (a specific time) and FOR (a space of time.)

Example:

Er lebt seit drei Jahren in Deutschland. (Space of time) = FOR

Er lebt seit 2010 in Deutschland. (Specific time) = SINCE

Both prepositions are Seit but the English cannot translate all the two with SINCE.

Three years is a length of time so the English translate:

seit drei Jahren with for three years.

But when Seit is used in the sense of a date, a year, a day then since is used.

So:

seit 2010 means since 2010.

NB: Since and For are strong indicators for the use of the Present perfect continuous. He has been working since 2010

H e has been working for three years.

For - a period of time, a space of time, a length of time.

for three hours

for a week

for five years I have been working for two hours.

for a long time

for a number of days

for a number of hours

for a couple of years etc.

Since- a specific time, the time when the action began.

Since 2010

since Monday

since last year I have been living in Germany since 1990.

since Easter

since 1945

since my childhood

since this morning

since 12 o'clock

So far the difference is clear but there is another little trick to quickly know when to use since or for.

When it is possible to use the German word lang instead of the word seit, then use For.

seit 10 Jahren- 10 Jahren lang - f or 10 years

seit 5 Minuten- 5 Minuten lang - for 5 minutes

seit drei Wochen- drei Wochen lang- for three weeks

seit zwei Tage- zwei Tage lang- for two days

seit drei Stunden- drei Stunde lang- for three hours

BUT

seit 1990 1990 lang is bad German since 1990

seit heute Morgen since today morning

seit 13 Uhr- since one o'clock.

2. Ago

AGO

German learners of English also make the mistake of translating the German word Vor with the English word for and before. So they make sentences like:

WRONG

I bought this car for three years Ich kaufte das Auto vor drei Jahren

She was here for three days. Sie war hier vor drei Tage

He was in Paris before two years. Er war in Paris vor zwei Jahren

RIGHT

I bought this car three years ago.

She was here three years ago.

He was in Paris two years ago.

Ago normally comes at the end of the sentence and unlike since and for (which go with the present perfect tense) it normally goes with the simple past tense and indicates that something happened at a particular time in the past.

3. Exercises and answers

Wrong Sentences.

1. I have been waiting for you since twenty minutes.
2. I have been living in Frankfurt since nine years.
3. I have been here since many months.
4. My father bought this house for five years.
5. My husband moved to Berlin before ten years.
6. I can't remember when I was in Africa. I was there for a long time.
7. I met my boyfriend in Berlin. We have known each other since two years.
8. My son has been learning French since five years now.
9. The cold world war has been going on since fifty years.
10. We have been married since ten years.
11. I have been working here since twenty years.
12. My children arrived the school for five hours.
13. I have loved this girl since three years.
14. I have had this car since a month.
15. My daughter bought the dress for a couple of months.
16. Germany won the world cup before twenty three years.

RIGHT.

1. I have been waiting for you for twenty minutes.
2. I have been living in Frankfurt for nine years.
3. I have been here for many months.
4. My father bought this house five years ago.
5. My husband moved to Berlin ten years ago.
6. I can't remember when I was in Africa. I was there a long time ago.
7. I met my boyfriend in Berlin. We have known each other for two years.
8. My son has been learning French for five years now.
9. The cold war has been going on for fifty years.
10. We have been married for ten years.
11. I have been working here for twenty years.
12. My children arrived the school five years ago.
13. I have loved this girl for three years.
14. I have had this car for a month.
15. My daughter bought the dress a couple of months ago.
16. Germany won the world cup twenty three years ago.