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Since vs From

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by kvcpk » Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:25 am
Hi,

I am often confused between these two usages. Which of them is correct and why?

A. I am living in Boston since twenty years
B. I am living in Boston from twenty years

C. I am living in Boston since 1925
D. am living in Boston from 1925

Which of these are correct?
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by mohit11 » Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:35 am
We can only use Since in Present Perfect Tense

While using from, we should specify a time period


C. I am living in Boston since 1925 is the correct usage
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by kvcpk » Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:42 am
mohit11 wrote:We can only use Since in Present Perfect Tense

While using from, we should specify a time period

C. I am living in Boston since 1925 is the correct usage
What about
B. I am living in Boston from twenty years ?
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by hardik.jadeja » Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:49 am
As far as i know....

In such type of sentences, you can use either 'since' or 'for'. I am not sure 'from' is correct here.

Since is used with the present perfect to express that something has happened since a point in time.
Eg: I have been living in Boston since 1925

For is used with the present perfect to express that something has happened for a period of time.
Eg: I have been living in Boston for the last twenty years.

I am not sure, but 'from' should be used when you want to say something like this..
Eg: I lived in Boston from 1925 to 1950.


Hope that helps...
Last edited by hardik.jadeja on Wed Jun 16, 2010 7:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
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by martin.jonson007 » Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:51 am
kvcpk wrote:
mohit11 wrote:We can only use Since in Present Perfect Tense

While using from, we should specify a time period

C. I am living in Boston since 1925 is the correct usage
What about
B. I am living in Boston from twenty years ?
WRONG!

You can say like...

B. I am living in Boston from LAST twenty years

b'coz when u say FROM TWENTY YEARS , it doesn't specify which 20 years... whether it is 1990 -2010 OR 1980 -2000

whereas when u use SINCE

then it is clear automatically that u r talking abt 1990-2010 itself...
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by kvcpk » Mon Jun 14, 2010 1:05 am
Thanks for your prompt responses.

Now i understand that "I am living in Boston From" is wrong if am not specifying the duration correctly.

But Hardik's post gives me one more doubt:
I am living in Boston since 1925
I have been living in Boston since 1925

Are both of these correct? If so, When are these both used?

I am living in Boston for 20 years
I have been living in Boston for 20 years

Are both of these correct? If so, When are these both used?

Can any of the experts provide details on usage of Since/From/For ? It would be really helpful.

Thank you!!
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by hardik.jadeja » Mon Jun 14, 2010 1:30 am
I am not an expert but here's what I think...
kvcpk wrote: But Hardik's post gives me one more doubt:
I am living in Boston since 1925
I have been living in Boston since 1925

Are both of these correct? If so, When are these both used?
I am living in Boston since 1925 - This is most definitely wrong. As far as I know, you should always use present perfect tense with 'since'. Because here you are talking about an event that started in past and is still ongoing.
kvcpk wrote: I am living in Boston for 20 years
I have been living in Boston for 20 years

Are both of these correct? If so, When are these both used?
As far as I know,

I lived in Boston for 20 years - correct

This sentence means that you lived there for 20 years but you no longer live in Boston.

I am living in Boston for 20 years - wrong
I have been living in Boston for 20 years - correct

Because here you are talking about an event that started in past and is still ongoing, you should use present perfect tense.

Hope that helps..
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by Stacey Koprince » Wed Jun 16, 2010 7:21 am
Received a PM asking me to reply.

kvcpk, none of those is correct. :) You're using the wrong tense. You are trying to convey something that began at a certain time in the post but is still going on or still true today. For that, we use present perfect tense.

Here are some correct options:
I have been living in Boston since 1925. (since + specified date / time) (this sentence says I am still living in Boston)
I have been living in Boston for 20 years. (for + length of time) (this sentence says I am still living in Boston)
I lived in Boston for 20 years. (this sentence says that I lived there for 20 years sometime in the past, but we don't know when, and I don't live there anymore)
(as hardik said) I lived in Boston from 1925 to 1950.

(Note: hardik, you had these almost all right, but you wrote the first two sentences as "I am have been" - we don't need the "am.")
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by kvcpk » Wed Jun 16, 2010 7:27 am
Stacey Koprince wrote:Received a PM asking me to reply.

kvcpk, none of those is correct. :)
So "I am living in Boston Since 1925" is wrong usage.. Learnt something new today..

Thanks for responding Stacey..
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by hardik.jadeja » Wed Jun 16, 2010 7:32 am
Stacey Koprince wrote: (Note: hardik, you had these almost all right, but you wrote the first two sentences as "I am have been" - we don't need the "am.")
Thanks for pointing it out..

That was a typo.. didn't notice it.. I have edited my previous post..
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