This Since and For quiz consists of 20 questions, each with 4 multiple-choice answers. Read each question carefully and choose the best answer from the choices. At the end, you can view your score and answer explanations. The test is designed for beginner to intermediate English learners.
Since vs For: A brief knowledge before the quiz
Since and for are commonly used to talk about time, especially with perfect tenses. However, they have different meanings.
1. When to Use Since
Use since to indicate the starting point of an action or situation. It tells us when something began.
Structure: Since + a specific point in time
Examples:
I have lived here since 2025.
She has been working since morning.
They have known each other since childhood.
He has been waiting since 8 a.m.
Since can be followed by a specific date, year, day, time, or past event.
Example: I have felt better since I started exercising.
2. When to Use For
Use for to indicate the duration of an action or situation. It tells us how long something has continued.
Structure: For + a period of time
Examples:
I have lived here for six years.
She has been watching the movie for two hours.
They have known each other for a long time.
He has been waiting for thirty minutes.
For can be followed by seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years.
In short, Since answers the question “Since when?” and For answers “How long?”. The examples above show their distinction in use. Both are frequently used with the present perfect and present perfect continuous tenses.
Common Mistakes
Incorrect: I have been waiting since two hours.
Correct: I have been waiting for two hours.
Incorrect: She has lived here for 2020.
Correct: She has lived here since 2020.
English learners (especially ESL learners) frequently make mistakes. This test assesses understanding of when to use ‘since‘ and when to use ‘for‘.
Now, start answering and see how much you can score.
'Since' vs. 'For' Practice Quiz
Test your understanding of time prepositions, starting points, and durations with 20 practice questions.
Quiz Completed!
Answer Breakdown & Explanations
How to Improve Your Score
After the quiz is completed, see your score:
- 90% and above: Excellent or advanced command.
- 70–89%: Good foundation.
- Below 70%: Foundational review needed.
Check your mistakes or wrong answers in the results. They are the weak areas you need to focus on for study.
Especially if your score is below 70%, it means you need to study more. To answer the questions correctly in a grammar test like this, study these areas:
Fundamental rules and distinction in use (
since= specific starting point in time;for= duration/length of time)Tense compatibility (primarily used with Present Perfect, Present Perfect Continuous, Past Perfect, etc.)
Tricky expressions (e.g., for a long time, since last week, for the past three years, since I was a child)
Sentence placement, time expressions, and common ESL learners’ mistakes
In addition, practice with more tests or quizzes.
For in-depth learning, read → Since vs. For: The Definitive Guide
Or, check out the books/courses shown below.
