MULTIMEDIA-ENGLISH
ACTIVITY SHEET (created by the user: Profe)

Before doing this activity you may need to read the text you will find at the end


  SmartMemo
For / Since / From and its Spanish equivalents
Focus Grammar
Description The use of From, Since and From to talk about time, and its Spanish equivalents.
Instructions 1- Look at the words and think of its meaning (and maybe pronunciation)
2- Move your mouse over the black button to check your answer.
3- If you were right, click on the green button, if wrong, click on the red.
 
Item Match Comments
¿Desde cuándo vives aquí? Since when have you lived here?
Mike estuvo dos semanas en Florencia Mike was in Florence for two weeks
¿Desde cuándo lo sabes? Since when have you known it?
La conozco desde antes de que tú nacieras I've known her since before you were born
Lleva enfermo desde ayer He's been ill since yesterday
Estaré fuera desde el domingo I'll be away from Sunday
Lleva cinco días lloviendo It's been raining for five days
He trabajado aquí dos años I've worked here for two years
Lo supe desde que la ví I knew it since I saw her
Esa tienda cierra desde el viernes hasta el domingo That shop closes from Friday to Sunday
Llevo meses sin verte I haven't seen you for months
Ella lleva mucho tiempo trabajando aquí She's been working here for a long time
Mi jefe estará en Italia los próximos diez días My boss will be in Italy for the next 10 days
No me ha llamado desde el pasado verano He hasn't phoned me since last summer
¿Desde cuánto estás aquí? Since when have you been here?
Trabajo de 9 a 2 I work from 9 to 2
He vivido aquí desde que era pequeñito I've lived here since I was a child
Te he estado esperando dos horas I've been waiting for you for two hours
Estuve dos días en Toledo I was in Toledo for two days
La conozco desde el martes I've known her since last Tuesday
No ha llovido desde noviembre It hasn't rained since November
Estaremos en Madrid a partir del lunes We will be in Madrid from Monday
No le he visto desde diciembre I haven't seen him since December
Llevo viviendo aquí desde el mes pasado I've been living here since last month
Ese bar abrirá de Mayo a Septiembre That bar will open from May to September
¿Cuánto llevas estudiando inglés? For how long have you studied English? also: For how long have you...?
and less frequent: How long have you studied English for?
También valdría: ...have you been studying... (dependiendo del matiz)
Te quiero desde que te vi I've loved you since I met/saw you
¿Cuánto llevan viviendo aquí? How long have they lived here? also: For how long have they lived here?
and less frequent: How long have they lived here for?
¿Cuánto llevas esperando aquí? How long have you been waiting here? also: For how long have you...?
and less frequent: How long have you been waiting here for?
Ella trabaja aquí desde Julio She's been working here since July
Vive aquí desde que acabó la guerra He has lived here since the war finished
La conozco desde hace mucho I have known her for a long time también sería posible: I have known her since a long time ago
pero eso es mucho menos normal
Llevamos dos semanas aquí We've been here for 2 weeks
Llevo media hora esperándote I've been waiting for you for half an hour
¿Desde cuándo la conoces? Since when do you know her?
Total number of items: 35
This is an activity from Multimedia-English www.multimedia-english.com
 

Note for Spanish speakers

En español, cuando expresamos duración, casi siempre suprimimos el "durante":
- I've lived here for two years =he vivido aquí dos años
En inglés coloquial el "for" también se puede suprimir, pero no es tan frecuente y no siempre se suprime (así que es más seguro no suprimirlo en inglés):
- she's been in Malaga six weeks (=for six weeks)
 
LLEVAR: En español, para expresar duración, es más frecuente usar "llevar (+ gerundio)" que "durante":
- It's been raining for two hours = Lleva dos horas lloviendo (= ha estado lloviendo durante dos horas)
- I've been waiting for you since 10 o'clock = Llevo esperándote desde las 10
- she had been waiting for you all day = Ella llevaba todo el día buscándote

Cuando se usa "durante" o "desde", el español a menudo usa el presente, pero en inglés suele ser el present perfect (pretérito perfecto):
- I've lived here for two years =Llevo dos años aquí
- I've lived here since 2006 =Estoy aquí desde el 2006

 

FOR + period expresses duration (HOW LONG?)
SINCE + starting point says when the action began (SINCE WHEN?)
 
1- I've known her for three days (for how long? for three days)
2- I've known her since last summer (since when? since last summer)

Compare:
- Now it's April, so I've been living here for three months
- Now it's April, so I've been living here since February

When we express duration up to the present (past and present action) we use FOR with a present perfect tense, not a present tense.

- I've lived here for three years  (not: I live here for three years)
- She's been studying for five hours, tell her to have a break

In informal conversation we often leave out FOR

- I've been waiting for you (for) two hours!
- She has worked only (for) three hours today


SINCE is usually used with present perfect. It expresses that the action began at that moment and continued up to the present (or the past time we are talking about):

- We have been married since 1998  (since 1998 until now)
- They bought the car last month. They had been comparing prices since Tom's birthday.  (since Tom's birthday until they bought the car)
- I've been waiting for you since 7 o'clock!   (since 7 until now)

For other situations (present or future) we prefer FROM

- The shops will be open from 8 o'clock in the morning
- I work from 8 to 4
- Our new company will start operating from September 10th