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SEMAINE 15 – JOUR 1 For / Since or Ago : Grammaire + Listening Talking about duration

Tu sais déjà utiliser le Present Perfect.

Mais pour parler comme un anglophone, il faut pouvoir dire :

depuis combien de temps
depuis quand

Exemples en français :

  • J’apprends l’anglais depuis 2 ans
  • Je travaille ici depuis 2020

En anglais, on utilise :

FOR
SINCE

Aujourd’hui, tu vas comprendre la différence clairement.

Mon Coach Pro · Grammaire B1–B2

For / Since / Ago

Talking About Time — Duration, Starting Points & Past Moments

1. Why Are FOR, SINCE and AGO Confusing?

These three words all relate to time, but they answer very different questions. Mixing them up is one of the most common mistakes in English. This lesson will give you the clarity you need to use them correctly every time.

FOR → How long? (duration)
SINCE → Since when? (starting point)
AGO → How long ago did it happen? (past moment)
2. The Three Words at a Glance
FOR
→ How long?
Used with a period / duration of time
"I have lived here for 5 years."
"She studied for two hours."
→ pendant / depuis (une durée)
SINCE
→ Since when?
Used with a specific point in time
"I have lived here since 2019."
"She has worked here since Monday."
→ depuis (un moment précis)
AGO
→ How long before now?
Used with Past Simple — never with Present Perfect
"I moved here 5 years ago."
"She started this job two months ago."
→ il y a (dans le passé)
3. FOR — Expressing Duration

Use FOR to express how long something has lasted or lasted. It is followed by a period of time (a length).

FOR + period of time (how long)
for five minutes · for two hours · for a week · for three months · for six years · for a long time

FOR with Present Perfect — ongoing situation (still happening now)

Aminata has studied English for three years. (she still studies now)
Aminata étudie l'anglais depuis trois ans.
I have lived in Bouaké for my whole life.
J'ai vécu à Bouaké toute ma vie.

FOR with Past Simple — finished situation

She studied in Abidjan for two years. (she no longer does)
Elle a étudié à Abidjan pendant deux ans.
He waited at the bus stop for forty minutes.
Il a attendu à l'arrêt de bus pendant quarante minutes.
💡 FOR works with any tense : Past Simple, Present Perfect, Past Continuous, Future…
→ She worked there for a year. (PS) / She has worked there for a year. (PP) / She will work there for a year. (Future)
4. SINCE — Expressing a Starting Point

Use SINCE to express when something started. It is followed by a specific point in time. The situation is almost always still happening now → Present Perfect.

SINCE + specific point in time (when it started)
since 2018 · since Monday · since March · since last year · since I was born · since the meeting
Konan has worked at this company since 2020.
Konan travaille dans cette entreprise depuis 2020.
She has been sick since last Tuesday.
Elle est malade depuis mardi dernier.
I haven't seen him since the graduation ceremony.
Je ne l'ai pas vu depuis la cérémonie de remise des diplômes.
She has loved music since she was a child.
Elle aime la musique depuis qu'elle est enfant.
💡 SINCE is almost always used with the Present Perfect. It connects a past starting point to the present moment. The action or state started at that point and continues now.
⚠️ SINCE can also introduce a clause :
SINCE + subject + verb (past) : "I have felt better since I started exercising."
SINCE + specific time : "I have felt better since last week."
5. AGO — Referring to a Past Moment

Use AGO to say how long before NOW something happened. It always goes after the time expression and is always used with the Past Simple — never with the Present Perfect.

Time expression + AGO (always at the end)
five minutes ago · two hours ago · a week ago · three years ago · a long time ago
I started learning English two years ago.
J'ai commencé à apprendre l'anglais il y a deux ans.
She left the office ten minutes ago.
Elle a quitté le bureau il y a dix minutes.
Côte d'Ivoire gained independence many decades ago.
La Côte d'Ivoire a obtenu son indépendance il y a plusieurs décennies.
⚠️ NEVER use AGO with Present Perfect :
✘ I have started this job three months ago.
✔ I started this job three months ago. (Past Simple)

✘ She has left two hours ago.
✔ She left two hours ago.
6. Timeline — Seeing the Difference

Example : "I moved to Bouaké 5 years ago and I have lived here for 5 years / since 2019."

5 years ago / since 2019
for 5 years ←————————————→
NOW
💡 The connection :
→ 5 years AGO = when it happened (past moment, Past Simple)
→ FOR 5 years = how long it has lasted (duration, Present Perfect)
→ SINCE 2019 = from which point it started (starting point, Present Perfect)
7. FOR vs SINCE — Side by Side
FORSINCE
QuestionHow long?Since when?
Followed byA duration (period)A specific point in time
Examplesfor 3 years · for a week · for monthssince 2021 · since Monday · since I was born
TenseAny tenseAlmost always Present Perfect
Example ✔I've been here for 3 years.I've been here since 2021.
She has been a teacher for ten years. / She has been a teacher since 2014.
Elle est enseignante depuis dix ans. / Elle est enseignante depuis 2014.
I haven't eaten for six hours. / I haven't eaten since this morning.
Je n'ai pas mangé depuis six heures. / Je n'ai pas mangé depuis ce matin.
8. Questions — How Long? / When? / How Long Ago?
QuestionAnswer structureExample
How long have you…?for + period / since + pointI've worked here for two years / since 2022.
Since when have you…?since + specific timeI've lived here since I was born.
When did you…?time + ago / in + year / last…I moved here three years ago.
How long ago did you…?period + agoI started this job six months ago.
9. Real-Life Context — Côte d'Ivoire
💬 Dialogue — Job interview in Abidjan
HR
How long have you been studying English?
A
I have been studying English for three years now. I started three years ago when I joined Mon Coach Pro.
HR
And since when have you been working in sales?
A
I have worked in sales since 2021. Before that, I worked in customer service for two years — I left that job four years ago.
HR
Excellent. Have you lived in Abidjan for long?
A
Yes, I have lived here since I finished university. That was about five years ago, so I have been here for five years.
10. Common Mistakes to Avoid
I have started this job three months ago. ✔ I started this job three months ago. (Past Simple)
→ AGO always goes with Past Simple, never Present Perfect.
She has lived here since five years. ✔ She has lived here for five years. (FOR + duration)
→ SINCE + specific point in time. FOR + period/duration. "Five years" is a duration → FOR.
I know him for a long time. ✔ I have known him for a long time.
→ An ongoing situation from the past to now → Present Perfect + FOR.
How long ago have you been here? ✔ How long have you been here? / How long ago did you arrive?
→ "How long" + Present Perfect OR "How long ago" + Past Simple. Never mix AGO with Present Perfect.
He works here since Monday. ✔ He has worked here since Monday.
→ SINCE with an ongoing situation → Present Perfect (has/have + past participle).
🎓

Coach Assoa vous conseille :

Pour ne plus jamais confondre ces trois mots, posez-vous une seule question :

① Je parle d'un moment précis dans le passé (il y a 3 ans, en 2020) → AGO + Past Simple
② Je réponds à "depuis quand ?" (un point de départ) → SINCE + Present Perfect
③ Je réponds à "combien de temps ?" (une durée) → FOR + Present Perfect ou Past Simple

Retenez aussi cette phrase modèle : "I started learning English three years ago and I have studied it for three years / since 2021." — les trois mots dans une seule situation !

📝 Exercise — For / Since / Ago

Test your knowledge of FOR · SINCE · AGO and their tenses

  • ❓  12 questions
  • ⏱️  15 minutes
  • ✅  Immediate correction after each answer
  • 📊  Score by category at the end
🎓 For / Since / Ago — Mon Coach Pro
15:00
QUESTION 1 / 12
FOR

🏁 Results

📊 Score by category

📋 Answer Review

© Mon Coach Pro – ASSOA Kouamé Rodrigue Gabin