Common grammatical mistakes made in English: for versus since.
Learning a language is a process of trial and error. Of course, as a non-native speaker, you will occasionally make mistakes; you can't avoid that.
But if you become aware of some common mistakes, you will be one step closer to professionalising your business English.
A common grammatical error made in English by non-native speakers is the use of for versus since.
For versus since
The use of the Dutch word 'sinds' can be 'for' or 'since' in English, but Dutch speakers often use only 'since'.
The difference between for and since is as follows:
For
For indicates a period of time from beginning to end in the past, present or future:
- He's been on the phone with her for twenty minutes.
- I lived in the city for a couple of months.
- He worked for that agency for 3 years.
- Next week we're going on a business trip for 5 days.
Since
Since indicates a period from a point in the past to the present:
- He's been on the phone since 9 am.
- I have been living in the city since January.
- He has been working for that agency since 2019.
Example
- Wrong: I've lived here since 10 years.
- Right: I've lived here for 10 years.
More tips on English grammar and common mistakes in English? These articles might also interest you:
- English grammar: If versus when
- English grammar: Fewer versus less
- English grammar: Much versus many
- English grammar: Which versus who
- English grammar: Good, well or right
- English grammar: To lay versus to lie
- English grammar: Present or Present Perfect?
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