Tuesday 15 February 2011

English Lessons - Indianisms: For, Since


One of the most common grammatically incorrect Indianisms is the misuse of 'for' and 'since' when describing timescales. These are the rules for how you should use them, without exception:

You use 'for' when describing a length of time
Example - "I have been waiting here for 2 hours".

You use 'since' when referring to a specific point of time in the past
Example - "I have been waiting here since 4.00 PM".

Many people confuse the usage of the 2 words, and use 'since' to describe a length of time. This is incorrect under any circumstance. It is a mistake so frequent, even teachers, journalists & editors commit it every day. Let me recap:

Correct - I have owned this car for 5 years.
Correct - I have owned this car since 2005.
Wrong - I have owned this car since 5 years.


You can view my full article on Indianisms, on CNNGo: http://www.cnngo.com/mumbai/life/10-indianisms-652344

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