How to use Present Perfect with For and Since | Sentence Structure Sunday
- Mark Connolly
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
Sunday Structure: Why the "Time Bridge" Changes Your English
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Welcome back to On Your Mark's English!
Today, we are tackling a structure that often confuses A2 learners because it doesn't exist in many other languages. We call it the "Time Bridge."
The "Now" vs. The "Length"
In English, if you started an action in the past and it is still true today, you cannot use the
Present Simple.
❌ "I am a teacher since 2017."
✅ "I have been a teacher since 2017."
This structure acts like a bridge.
It keeps one foot in the past (when you started) and one foot in the present (because you are still doing it)
For vs. Since: The Great Debate
FOR is for numbers. If you can count the time on your fingers (1 year, 2 weeks, 3 hours), you use for.
SINCE is for names. If the time has a name on a calendar or a clock (2020, Tuesday, July, 9:00 PM), you use since.
Common Trap:
Don't use the Past Simple if the action isn't finished!
"I lived in China for two years" means you are not in China now.
"I have lived in China for two years" means you are in China now.
Practice Exercise:
Write down three things you have done "since" you woke up this morning.
Then, write three things you have done "for" more than five years.
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