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Relationships & Dating

How to use SINCE, FOR, and UNTIL

Learn how to use SINCE, FOR, and UNTIL in daily English conversations.

Read the full lesson summary

This grammar lesson helps learners choose among “since,” “for,” and “until” when talking about time. Vanessa teaches each word through short quizzes, examples, and a story, and repeatedly asks a useful question: are you naming a starting point, a duration, or an endpoint? Keeping those three meanings separate makes it easier to select the right word, especially in sentences using the present perfect.

Use “since” to identify when a situation began. In “I’ve lived here since 2018,” 2018 is the starting point, and the living situation continues into the present. Other examples include “since this morning” and “since I was five years old.” The activity does not have to happen constantly: saying “I’ve been playing soccer since I was five” can mean soccer has been a continuing interest or part of someone’s life, not that the person has kicked a ball without stopping for decades. Vanessa also contrasts positive and negative forms: “He has been eating since this morning” describes an ongoing activity, while “He hasn’t eaten since this morning” means the last time he ate was this morning.

Use “for” with a length of time: “for three hours,” “for five years,” or “for a while.” It tells how long an activity or state lasted or has lasted, rather than when it began. The same duration phrase can appear in positive and negative sentences—“He has been eating for five hours” and “He hasn’t eaten for five hours”—but the verb’s polarity changes the meaning.

Use “until” to mark a stopping point or turning point. “She worried until it was finished,” “I played soccer until I broke my leg,” and “I didn’t have a smartphone until 2009” all identify a boundary. That boundary may be a time, a year, or an event such as “until I got better.” In the closing story, the raccoon and badger talk “for two hours until another customer came in”: for gives the duration, and until names the event that ended the conversation.

For practice, first underline the time clue in a sentence. If it answers “When did it start?”, try since. If it answers “How long?”, use for. If it answers “When did it stop?”, use until. Then read the whole sentence aloud so the tense and time expression work together. The lesson’s story and repetition give learners several chances to hear the contrast in context rather than memorize three isolated definitions.

S2.1
Speak English With VanessaAmerican English12:03

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Transcript

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Select an expression for its meaning · 0:00

Introducing the three time words

Vanessa: Hi, I'm Vanessa from SpeakEnglishWithVanessa.com. Since? For? Until? Which one's right? Let's talk about it. Vanessa: Have you ever wondered "Can native speakers understand what I'm saying?" Well, even if your accent isn't perfect or if you use basic vocabulary, most people can figure out what you're trying to say. But there are some key words that are essential to use in your sentence to have the correct meaning. I've talked about these keywords on my channel before, words like "actually," "unless," "though."

Try it: Write one sentence about your life using since, for, or until, and identify whether it gives a start, duration, or endpoint.

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12 phrases

Showing 12 of 12 phrases

since 2018

Identifying a starting point · expression

From the starting point in 2018 and continuing up to the relevant present time.

Tone and use: Neutral; a common time expression. Use since with a point or date when an action or state began.

May not fit: Do not use since directly with a duration such as three years; use for a duration.

Example“I’ve worked at this company since 2018.”

since this morning

Identifying a starting point · expression

Starting at some point this morning and continuing to now or the time being discussed.

Tone and use: Neutral and conversational. Use since + a starting time with a continuing situation, often in the present perfect.

May not fit: Since marks the start, not how long the situation has lasted.

Example“She has been waiting since this morning.”

since I was five years old

Using since with a date · expression

From the time when I was five, continuing through the period being described.

Tone and use: Neutral; useful for long-term activities and interests. Use since + a past event or age to name when a continuing interest or activity began.

May not fit: It does not mean the activity happened continuously every moment; context can describe a lasting interest or participation.

Example“I’ve loved drawing since I was five years old.”

for three hours

Talking about continuing activities · expression

During a period lasting three hours.

Tone and use: Neutral and common. Use for + a length of time to say how long something lasted or has lasted.

May not fit: Do not use for when you mean the starting point; use since this morning, for example.

Example“We talked for three hours after the conference.”

for 30 years

Contrasting positive and negative forms · expression

During a 30-year period.

Tone and use: Neutral; the number gives the duration. Use for + a duration when giving the length of an activity or state.

May not fit: If you name when it began instead, use since + that starting point.

Example“They have been neighbors for 30 years.”

until it was finished

Using for with a length of time · expression

Up to the point when it was finished; finished marks the endpoint.

Tone and use: Neutral and useful for describing a time limit. Use until + an event or state to show when an action stops.

May not fit: Unlike since, until points to an endpoint rather than a starting point.

Example“She stayed at the library until her project was finished.”

until I broke my leg

Using for with a length of time · expression

Up to the event of breaking my leg, which marks when the activity stopped.

Tone and use: Neutral; describes an endpoint or turning point. Use until + a past event to explain when an ongoing or repeated activity ended.

May not fit: It does not describe how long the activity lasted; add a duration if you need that detail.

Example“I played on the team until I broke my leg.”

until 2009

Contrasting since and for · expression

Up to the year 2009; the year is the endpoint.

Tone and use: Neutral and concise. Use until + a date or year to state when a situation ended or changed.

May not fit: For a situation that began in 2009 and continues, use since 2009 instead.

Example“The old office remained open until 2009.”

for a while

Using until with a completed event · expression

For some time, without specifying the exact length.

Tone and use: Conversational and intentionally nonspecific. Use it when the duration matters but an exact amount of time is unknown or unnecessary.

May not fit: For a deadline or precise schedule, give a clearer time period.

Example“I’ll be away for a while, but I’ll check my messages later.”

until I got better

Using until with a completed event · expression

Up to the time when I recovered or improved.

Tone and use: Neutral and common in everyday speech. Use until + a change of state to show when something else could happen or stop.

May not fit: Do not use it to give the length of the illness; say for three days if that is what you mean.

Example“I stayed home until I got better.”

until another customer came in

Describing a turning point · expression

Up to the moment another customer entered; that event is the endpoint.

Tone and use: Neutral narrative language. Use until + a complete event to say when an activity stopped.

May not fit: Use while if you mean two actions were happening at the same time, rather than one ending at the event.

Example“We waited by the counter until another customer came in.”

since they were baby cubs

Describing a turning point · expression

From the time when they were baby cubs up to the present period being described.

Tone and use: Neutral; often used for a relationship or condition lasting over time. Use since + a past situation to describe when a continuing relationship or state began.

May not fit: Since gives the starting point; use for + a period if you want to state the duration.

Example“Those two friends have known each other since they were children.”

Knowledge check

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Use it in a sentence · “since 2018”

Which sentence uses “since” with a starting point?