Grammar Practice in Context - David Bolton, Noel Goodey 1997
91 For, since, ago
Quick reference
For
• We use for to answer the question How long'? For is usually followed by a period of time, often a number of hours, days, months, years, etc. They've had that car for ten years.
• For can be used with present, present perfect, past and future tenses.
He steeps for nine hours every night. He's lived in California for two years.
She was in hospital for a month. We’ll stay for three weeks.
Since
• We use since + a point in time to say when something started.
I've lived here since 1992 They’ve been playing since 3 o’clock
OR (with a negative verb) to say when something stopped. It hasn’t rained since June.
• Since is often followed by a subject + a verb to show the point in time.
I’ve known him since we were at school. We've been waiting since the plane landed.
• We usually use since with the present perfect (continuous).
I’ve had a headache, since I woke, up this morning. It’s been snowing since 7 о'clock.
• We use ever since when we want to emphasise that something has continued without stopping for a period of time. It's been naming ever since we arrived.
• Since/ever since can be used alone. I saw her at 3.15. but I haven 't seen her since.
Ago
• We use ago to say when something happened in the past. They left five minutes ago.
• We put ago after the expression of time. The war ended two years ago. (not ago two years.)
• We use ago with the past simple (and sometimes with the past continuous). But we don't use it with the present perfect.
The police came an hour ago (not have come an hour ago)
She was having a bath half an hour ago.
1 An old man is talking about his life. Write a second sentence which has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given.
Example: We got married 35 years ago. (been) We've been married for 35 years.
1 I first met my wife 40 years ago. (known)
2 We moved to this area 30 years ago. (lived)
3 We bought this house 25 years ago. (had)
4 I got a job at the factory 20 years ago, (worked)
5 We became grandparents five years ago. (been)
2 Two people are discussing what to do at the weekend. Complete the sentences, as in the example.
Example: We could go to London. We haven't been to London for ages or since Easter.
1 We could have a party. We ... months.
2 Why don’t we clean the car? We ... last month.
3 We could buy some new clothes. We ... I bought those jeans.
4 How about seeing a film? We ... we saw 'Repulsion'.
5 Shall I phone Tom and Suzanne? I ... weeks.
6 Why don’t we just do nothing? We ... a long time.
3 Young Australian men often spend a lot of time and money on their cars. Two of them are talking about their obsession. Complete what they say, using since or for.
I left school when I was 16. (1) ... then I’ve had five cars (and I’ve crashed three of them). I usually have a car (2) ... a year. Then I get bored with it and buy another one. My dad has had the same car (3) ... ten years. He hasn’t bought a new one (4) ... he got married the second time. I can’t understand that. But I must admit I’ve had this Holden Commodore (5) ... 1995 and it's still going well. I’ll probably keep it (6) ... a few more monins
Greg Saradakis
I’ve had my own car (7) ... four years, (8) ... I passed my driving test. I’ve just put a new sound system in this car. I’ve been saving money to buy it (9) ... nine months. It’s me six speakers. I’ve wanted this system (10) ... over a year. (11) ... I saw an advertisement for it in a car magazine.
Damian Pellati
4 Raymond Bent has worked in the Lost Property office of the London Underground for 21 years. Complete what he says about his job using for, (ever) since or ago.
I’ve worked in this office (1) ... over 20 years. Things have changed a lot (2) ... I started work here. 20 years (3) ... people left a lot of hats and gloves. Nowadays they leave things like personal stereos and radios. A week (4) ... someone left a computer on the train.
(5) ... I’ve been here, I must have had over 10,000 pairs of glasses and 5,000 sets of false teeth handed in. We keep them (6) ... three months and then, if nobody claims them, we give them to the Red Cross.
Anything really strange? Yes, a month (7) ... someone left a wooden leg on the Victoria Line. And about a year (8) ... somebody left a stuffed gorilla on the Bakerloo Line. We’ve had it (9) ... We’ve also had a human skeleton (10) ... the last six months. The Red Cross didn’t want them!
5 Write at least six sentences about yourself. Say where you live, how long you have been learning English, etc. Use for, since or ago in each of your sentences.
Examples: I've lived in this town since 1993. I've been learning English for five gears. I started smoking six months ago.
Check your sentences with a teacher.