FOR AND SINCE FOR TIME

We lived there for five years.

He has been away since Tuesday.
We often use for and since when talking about time.

FOR + PERIOD: a "period" is a duration of time - five minutes, two weeks, six years.
For means "from the beginning of the period to the end of the period".

SINCE + POINT: a "point" is a precise moment in time - 9 o'clock, 1st January, Monday.
Since means "from a point in the past until now".

Look at these examples:

FOR SINCE
A PERIOD A POINT
FROM START TO END FROM THEN TO NOW

>===< x===>|

for 20 minutes since 9am

for three days since Monday
for 6 months since January
for 4 years since 1997
for 2 centuries since 1500
for a long time since I left school
for ever since the beginning of time

ALL TENSES PERFECT TENSES

FOR: For can be used with all tenses. Here are a few examples:
 They study for two hours every day.
 They are studying for three hours today.
 He has lived in Bangkok for a long time.
 He has been living in Paris for three months.
 I worked at that bank for five years.
 Will the universe continue for ever?

We do not use for with "all day", "all the time": I was there all day. (not for all day)
SINCE: Since is normally used with perfect tenses:
 He has been here since 9am.
 He has been working since he arrived.
 I had lived in New York since my childhood.

We also use since in the structure "It is [period] since":

 It was a year since I had seen her.
 How long is it since you got married?

Both for and since also have other meanings, with no reference to time. Here are some
examples:

• This is for you.

• Is this the train for London?
• Since you ask, I'll say yes.
• Since he didn't study, he didn't pass the exam.

LET’S PRACTICE!

https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-m_for-since_quiz.htm
https://www.english-4u.de/en/tenses-exercises/for-since.htm
http://www.spraz-ila.de/grammar/forsince1.htm
https://www.funteaching.it/project/engl2005/basic/forsince.htm
https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/confusing_words/since_for.htm