For and since: how long have you known her? For and since exercises with the present perfect
About this lesson
This A2 drill lesson gives for and since exercises with the present perfect, for things that started in the past and are still true: I've lived here for ten years.
- Grammar
- Have / has + past participle with for + a period or since + a start, negatives, How long have you…?, participles like been, known and taught, and no present tense.
- Topic
- An invented café turns 25: its birthday post and comments, an interview with the baker, the owner's speech and Joana's texts after the party.
- Activities
- True or false, sorting, choices, gap-fills, matching, a memory game, tables, word order, drag-and-drop, quizzes, an anagram and a chat, each graded at once.
What's inside
Chapter 1The rule
Chapter 2For or since?
- Sort the phrases: a period or a start?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: write the time phraseFill in the gapsTry it
- Match the pairs: say the same time with forMatchUnlock
- Choose for or since: harder phrasesChoose the optionUnlock
- Find the mistake: for or since?QuizUnlock
- Read Fiorella's message and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 3I've known her for years
- Fill in the gaps: have / has + past participleFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right verb formChoose the optionTry it
- Drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
- Fill in the table: it started in the pastFill in the tableUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: verb and past participleMemory gameUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right verb formQuizUnlock
Chapter 4How long have you…?
- Write the questions: How long have / has …?Fill in the gapsUnlock
- Put the words in order to make questionsUnjumbleUnlock
- Choose the right question for each answerQuizUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: haven't / hasn't + past participleFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right words: How long…?Choose the optionUnlock
- Match the questions and the answersMatchTry it
- Read the conversation and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: 25 years of coffee
- Read the café's birthday postReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the post again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read the post again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock
- Read the interview with Otis and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Thelma's speech and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Joana texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose for or since: around townChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: present perfect with for and sinceFill in the gapsUnlock
- Sort the sentences: has or have?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: sentences and questionsUnjumbleUnlock
- Fill in the table: it's 2026 nowFill in the tableUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endingsMatchUnlock
- Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: present perfect negativesFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: questions with How long have / hasFill in the gapsUnlock
- Unscramble the past participlesAnagramUnlock
- Drag the words into the gaps: questions and answersDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the right form: at workChoose the optionUnlock
- Read Seraphine's postcard and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Ambrose's review and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read the notice and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
Grammar: the present perfect with for and since
When something started in the past and is still true now, English uses the present perfect: I've lived here for ten years. For gives the length; since gives the starting point. Both answer How long…?: How long have you known Ben?
Present perfect with for and since
It started in the past and it is still true now: have / has + past participle + for / since.
have / has + past participle + for / since
The scheme's timeline runs from a point in the past up to now: I've lived here for ten years began in 2016 and goes on. He, she and it take has: She's worked here for six years. Negatives use haven't or hasn't.
have / has + past participle + for / since
subjecthave / haspast participlefor + a period · since + a start
I've lived here for ten years.
She's worked at the café since 2020.
How long have you known Ben?
Started in the past, still true now
- I've lived here for ten years
- since 2016
- now (2026)
Every person: + − ?
| Who | Positive (+) | Negative (−) | Question (?) |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | I have lived · I've lived here for a year. | I haven't seen Tom since May. | How long have I been asleep? |
| you | You've known me since school. | You haven't called me for weeks. | How long have you known Rosa? |
| he | He has had · He's had a car since 2020. | He hasn't eaten since breakfast. | How long has he had his car? |
| she | She's worked here for six years. | She hasn't been sick since March. | How long has she worked there? |
| it | The café has been open since 2001. | It hasn't changed for years. | How long has it been open? |
| we | We've been friends for 20 years. | We haven't met since the party. | How long have we been friends? |
| they | They've lived in Ohio since 2015. | They haven't visited us for a year. | How long have they lived there? |
For a period, since a start
For goes with an amount of time: for ten minutes, for six months, for years. Since goes with the moment it began: since Monday, since 2019, since last week, or a clause like since I was ten.
for + a period (how much time)
- for ten minutes · for two hours · for three days
- for a week · for six months · for 25 years
- for a long time · for years
- I've had this phone for two years.
since + a start (when it began)
- since 9 a.m. · since Monday · since June
- since 2019 · since last week · since my birthday
- since I was ten · since we moved here
- I've had this phone since 2024.
How long…? and the participles you need
How long has Ana worked here? – Since 2021. How long have you lived in Chicago? – For five years. The participles here are mostly been, had, known, taught, seen and met, plus regular ones like lived and studied.
Past participles you need
- be → been
- have → had
- know → known
- teach → taught
- see → seen
- meet → met
- live → lived
- work → worked
- study → studied
- play → played
- own → owned
- want → wanted
Examples
- How long have you lived in Chicago? — For five years.How long…? — For…
- How long has Ana worked here? — Since 2021.How long…? — Since…
- We've known each other since we were kids.since + a past moment
- I haven't seen my cousin for a long time.negative + for
- Dad has been at work since 7 a.m.be → been
- They've had their dog for three months.have → had
Common mistakes: not the present tense
Since three years needs for; for 2019 needs since. The present tense doesn't work with them: I've been here since Monday, not I am here since Monday; How long have you known Sam?, not How long do you know Sam?
Common mistakes
I've lived here since three years.
I've lived here for three years.
three years is a period: for
She has worked here for 2019.
She has worked here since 2019.
2019 is a start: since
I live here for five years.
I've lived here for five years.
still true now: have / has + past participle
How long do you know Sam?
How long have you known Sam?
How long + have / has + past participle
Not the present tense
With for and since, use have / has + past participle, not the present: I've been here since Monday. (Not: I am here since Monday.) We've known them for a year. (Not: We are knowing them for a year.) How long have you been married? (Not: How long are you married?) And check the subject: she has, they have.
More lessons on this grammar: Present perfect lessons and exercises
Try the for and since exercises
Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.
What's in the lesson
- 40 auto-checked exercises
- 5 games
- 1 real-life document
- 1 grammar scheme
- 1 picture
The main objectives of this lesson are to:
- use for with a period and since with a start: I've had this bike for two years. Ana has lived in Texas since 2018.
- keep the present perfect for something still true: I've lived in this apartment for five years, not I live in this apartment for five years
- ask How long…? and answer with For… or Since…: How long have you known Nora? – Since we were in college.
- say what hasn't happened for a while: I haven't seen my cousins since Christmas. It hasn't rained for a month.
- switch between the two: in 2026, since 2020 means for six years
- Grammar:
- present perfect · for and since · How long…? · past participles
- Topic:
- grammar practice · work · cafés · anniversaries
Teaching tips
- Draw a class timeline: students mark when they started a hobby, a job or a friendship, then say it both ways: I've played the guitar since 2019. I've played it for seven years.
- Trade How long…? questions: pairs ask three How long have you…? questions about home, work or a pet, then report one answer: Marta has had her cat since last summer.
- Race to sort time cards: mix cards like half an hour, Christmas, most of my life and we moved here, and teams put each under for or since.
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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · A2
English Grammar Practice · A2 has 28 drill lessons, one grammar point each: the past simple and continuous, used to, comparatives, going to and will, the present perfect, modals, the zero and first conditionals and questions. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words.See the course
- 1Past simple with -ed: moving day!
- 2Past simple irregular verbs: we went, we saw, we bought
- 3Past simple negatives and questions: where did the cake go?
- 4Past continuous: what were you doing at 9 p.m.?
- 5Past simple or past continuous: what were you doing when it happened?
- 6Used to: how things were back then
- 7Comparatives: which one is better?
- 8Superlatives: the best in town
- 9As … as, too, enough: is it the right size?
- 10Adverbs of manner: how did she drive?
- 11Much, many, a few, a little: how much do we need?
- 12Possessive pronouns: whose is it?
- 13Be going to: what's your plan?
- 14Will: what will the future bring?
- 15Present continuous for plans: what are you doing tonight?
- 16Will vs going to: decided before or right now?
- 17Present perfect: have you ever tried it?
- 18Just, already, yet: have you done it yet?
- 19For and since: how long have you known her?
- 20Present perfect or past simple: up to now or finished time?
- 21Must and have to: what are the rules?
- 22Should: what should I do?
- 23Can, could, may: could you help me, please?
- 24Verb + to or -ing: what do you enjoy doing?
- 25Zero conditional: what happens if…?
- 26First conditional: what will you do if it rains?
- 27Articles: a, the or no article?
- 28Subject and object questions: who won the quiz?