 Since versus for as both of these terms are used when talking about time They often cause confusion for many English learners. Let's take a closer look The word since is used when referring to a point or exact moment in time For example, I have been living in this house since 2005 2005 is a point or exact moment in time and therefore we need to use since For however is used with a period or duration of time such as in this example I have been living in this house for 12 years 12 years is a duration of time and therefore we need to use for To find out which of the two you need to use in a sentence Look at whether you are talking about an exact point in time or rather a duration of time That's it for today and see you next time