for - since

For & since
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Choisir 'for' = choisir une durée en nombre de jours, de mois, d'années... etc.
Choisir 'since' = choisir le point de départ de la durée. Le point de départ étant un jour,
une date, un mois, une année ...etc.
Ex : My grandparents walk ( ? ) twenty minutes a day.=> FOR
Ex : My family has lived here ( ? ) last March. => SINCE
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It has grown a lot since we planted it.
It has been in the garden for 20 years.
Questions:
1. ..._____________________________ three months.
2. ..._____________________________ the end of June
3. ..._____________________________ the day I met her.
4. ..._____________________________ weeks.
5. ..._____________________________ we last met them.
6. ..._____________________________ hours.
7. ..._____________________________ I finished college.
8. ..._____________________________ he phoned his parents.
9. ..._____________________________ last Tuesday.
10. ..._____________________________ midnight.
11. ..._____________________________ a long time.
12. ..._____________________________ 2004.
EXPLICATIONS:
1) => three months = une durée ( 3 mois )
2) => point de départ de la durée ( depuis la fin Juin )
3) => point de départ : depuis le jour où...
4) => 'weeks' = des semaines => une durée
5) => depuis que nous les avons rencontrés pour la dernière fois = point de départ
6) => 'hours' = des heures (durée)
7) => point de départ = depuis que j'ai fini le collège
8) => point de départ = depuis qu'il a téléphoné à ses parents
9) => 'Tuesday' = un point de départ (depuis mardi )
10) => depuis minuit = point de départ
11) => 'a long time' = une durée (depuis longtemps )
12) => 2004 = une année = un point de départ
Parler de durée : 'How long ...'? ...'for a long time!'
<= How
long have I been waiting?
- Aux questions commençant par 'how long' correspondent des réponses comportant l'expression d'une
durée introduite par 'for' / A tous les temps /
-Test : Poser les questions commençant par 'How long', dont les phrases suivantes sont les réponses
incomplètes. Ex: He has been speaking for... => How long has he been speaking?
- Il y a des changements entre la réponse et la question: pronoms personnels, adjectifs possessifs. / Le
point d'interrogation est déjà mis / contraction quand il s'agit de faire une intero-négative (ex: How long
haven't you... ? / hadn't he...?)
Questions:
1. I have been looking for her for... ______________________________ ?
2. They stayed in Ireland for... ______________________________ ?
3. It takes me ... to go to your house. ______________________________ ?
4. She 's known me for... ______________________________ ?
5. I have been practising for... ______________________________ ?
6. She had to stay at home for... ______________________________ ?
7. He hadn't been feeling well for... ______________________________ ?
8. I'll be absent for... ______________________________ ?
9. He has been working in this hospital for... ______________________________ ?
10. I haven't seen my sister for... ______________________________ ?
11. The game generally lasts ... ______________________________ ?
12. It will take me ... to get to the town centre. ______________________________ ?
13. We had been waiting for her for ... ______________________________ ?
14. The war lasted nearly ... ______________________________ ?
15. I was married for ... ______________________________ ?
EXPLICATIONS:
1) Reprise des termes de la réponse avec inversion du sujet/ I=>you
2) Réponse au prétérit=> 'did' dans la question + base verbale
3) présent dans la réponse => does + pas de S + you + my
4) 's=has/ me =>you/ construction habituelle : inversion du sujet
5) Construction habituelle/ I=>you
6) Auxiliaire du prétérit (did) + Base verbale (have)
7) Construction d'une interro-négation
8) 'll = will/ I=>you/ =construction habituelle de la question au futur
10) interro-négation/ my sister=>your sister
11) Auxiliaire du présent simple= does (3ème pers du sing)/ pas de 'S' / base verbale
12) Construction habituelle de la question au futur/ me=>you
13) We =>you dans cette question/ inversion du sujet dans la question
14) auxiliaire du prétérit 'did'/ + base verbale
15) was=>were dans le jeu des questions-réponses/ I=>you
For, Since, During et Ago
1) For
★ For et le prétérit
Le prétérit indique que l'action n'a aucun lien avec le présent. On traduit for par
PENDANT.
He stayed with them for two months last year.Il a vécu chez eux pendant deux
mois l'année dernière.
★ For avec le présent perfect simple et le présent perfect BE+ING
Le présent perfect met en évidence le lien avec le présent. On traduit for par DEPUIS
et le verbe par un présent.
I've had this CD for years. J'ai ce CD depuis des années. / Cela fait des années que
j'ai ce CD.
He's been sleeping for more than three hours now.Il dort depuis plus de trois
heures. / Cela fait plus de trois heures qu'il dort.
2) Since
★ Since est suivi d'une date ou d'une expression indiquant le point de départ
de l'action :
since yesterday, since last year, since that time...
★ Since exprime un lien entre le point de départ et d'une action (dans le passé) et
le présent. C'est pourquoi le verbe principal est du présent perfect,avec ou
sans BE+ING
★ On traduit Since par DEPUIS et le verbe par un présent.
I've known him since Xmas.Je le connais depuis Noël.
She's been living in London since June. Elle vit à Londres depuis juin.
★ For ou Since ?
- For : on additionne des moments : for two weeks, for days, etc.
- Since : Est suivi d'un élément qui a la valeur d'une date. Parfois cet élément est
un
verbe au prétérit.
She's been working here since January / since she came back.Elle travaille ici
depuis janvier / depuis qu'elle est revenue.
3) Ago
Ago se place après le complément de temps et ne s'emploie qu'avec le prétérit car
l'expression en Ago joue le rôle d'une date.
He sent me a message two days ago (on Sunday).Il m'a envoyé un message il y
a deux jours (dimanche).
4) « Pendant » : For ou during ?
★ For, qui exprime la durée, répond à la question How Long ? ( 'combien de
temps' ). Il s'utilise :
- Chaque fois que l'on additionne des jours, des semaines, etc.
=> For two days, for three weeks, for weeks, for ages, for centuries..
- Avec time, long et ever
=> for a long time, for some time, for so long, for ever..
★ During est suivi d'un groupe nominal et répond à la question When ? ( 'quand' ).
Il renvoie à un moment précis,situé à l'intérieur d'une période de temps. DURING
signifie « à un moment donné de » :
during the holidays, during that time, during the weekend...
★ Comparez les deux traductions de PENDANT.
Il l'a appelée pendant la pause et lui a parlé pendant plus de vingt minutes.
=> He called her during the break and talked to her for more than twenty
minutes.
★ EXERCICE : Complétez avec FOR, SINCE, AGO ou DURING ★
1. We've been waiting here _____________________________ 4 o'clock !
2. I haven't heard from them _____________________________ two weeks.
3. We've known each other _____________________________ 2003.
4. They've been living in Bath _____________________________ last month.
5. How long _____________________________ did you first go to Winchester ?
6. I've had a passion for King Arthur _____________________________ a long time.
7. My father bought a shop there a couple of years _____________________________ .
8. I haven't been to Britain _____________________________ I moved to Nancy.
9. I often stay with him _____________________________ the holidays.
10. The bomb exploded _____________________________ the Prime Minister's speech.
11. I've been running _____________________________ twenty minutes.
12. I've had this car _____________________________ a month.
13. They've had this pet _____________________________ May.
14. They left one week _____________________________ .
15. They've been away _____________________________ a week.
For et since
For se rapporte à une durée. The cat has been playing with the mouse for hours.
Since se rapporte au point de départ d'une action. The cat has been playing with the mouse since this
morning.
Questions:
1. ..._____________________________ three months.
2. ..._____________________________ the end of June
3. ..._____________________________ the day I met her.
4. ..._____________________________ weeks.
5. ..._____________________________ we last met them.
6. ..._____________________________ hours.
7. ..._____________________________ I finished college.
8. ..._____________________________ he phoned his parents.
9. ..._____________________________ last Tuesday.
10. ..._____________________________ midnight.
11. ..._____________________________ a long time.
12. ..._____________________________ 2004.
1. It has been raining _____________________________ 2 days.
2. I haven't seen her _____________________________ June.
3. She has been living in Paris _____________________________ 5 years.
4. He hasn't cooked _____________________________ many years.
5. I have been working _____________________________ this morning.
6. It hasn't rained _____________________________ 3 months.
7. She has been learning English _____________________________ 10 years.
8. He has been learning Spanish _____________________________ 1990.
9. He waited for her _____________________________ 2 hours yesterday.
10. She has been listening to music _____________________________ 8.30 .
Compléter par FOR ou SINCE !!! ('depuis' / 'pendant':
for + durée since + date)
1. They have been living in Canada _____________________________ 1980.
2. Mrs Brown has been in hospital _____________________________ three weeks.
3. We have known the Robinsons _____________________________ a long time.
4. We have had this car _____________________________ last April.
5. It has been raining _____________________________ tea-time.
6. She has been working in the garden _____________________________ two hours.
7. She has been working in the garden _____________________________ 2 o'clock.
8. I haven't seen her _____________________________ ages.
9. She's been waiting for you _____________________________ a quarter of an hour.
10. They have been playing chess _____________________________ four hours.
2.
For, since et ago
Compléter les phrases avec for, since ou ago.
1) She went to Brisbane three years __________________
ago
for
since
2) We have been learning English __________________ six months
since
ago
for
3) I met her a long time __________________
for
ago
since
4) She has been working on this translation __________________ a few hours
for
ago
since
5) He has been watching TV __________________ 6.00 p.m.
ago
for
since
6) Three days __________________ he started reading a book
for
ago
since
7) It has been a long time __________________ I met her
since
ago
for
8) She has been singing __________________ hours
ago
since
for
9) Tom has been sleeping __________________ yesterday
for
ago
since
10) The weather has been very fine __________________ the beginning of June
for
ago
since
For,since,ago
1. Victoria has hated going to the dentist's _____________________________ she was nine.
2. In America, pollution has been increasing steadily _____________________________ 1992.
3. They have been chatting on the phone _____________________________ half an hour.
4. It's ages _____________________________ my husband and I had a weekend by the sea.
5. He got married two months _____________________________ .
6. She hasn't phoned _____________________________ ages.
7. Nothing has happened _____________________________ last summer.
8. It started a long time _____________________________ .
9. He has been teaching adults _____________________________ over twenty years.
10. Six months _____________________________ , they were a happy family.
11. In the month _____________________________ the President's assassination, the murderer still
hasn't been traced.
12. This festival has taken place every year _____________________________ 1953.
13. He met her during the holidays and stayed with her _____________________________ two
months.
14. He's been working in the garden _____________________________ more than three hours now.
15. It has been six months _____________________________ he left home.
16. They've been married _____________________________ a few years.
17. I realise that you've been waiting _____________________________ too long.
18. He's been living there _____________________________ last year.
19. I've had it _____________________________ yesterday.
20. He had slept _____________________________ two hours.