Present perfect with for

and since
Econ. William Figueroa, MBA.
 How do we form the present perfect?
• We form the present perfect with the verb have and the past participle of
the main verb.
 Present perfect
• We use the present perfect to talk about a situation that started in the past
and is still true now.
• For example:
• How long have you lived in Brazil?
• I’ve lived here all my life.
 Present perfect with since
• We use since to refer to a fixed point in time in the past when the situation
started.
• For example:
• I’ve worked for this company since 2010.
• I haven’t spoken to Fred since last summer.
• Have you known Mark since you were a child?
 Present perfect with for
• We use for to refer to the period of time the situation has been true.
• For example:
• Joseph has been a teacher for two months.
• This computer hasn’t worked for years!
• Has the building been here for a long time?
 “How long…?”
• We use “How long…?” to ask about the length of time a situation has
been true.
• For example:
• How long have you known your boyfriend?
• We’ve known each other since last March.
• How long has he been a doctor?
• He’s been a doctor for about two years.