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for, since, in and from: time

for​

We use for for duration – to say how long something lasts.

Grammar

for + period of time

  • I studied the guitar for three years at school.
  • That house has been empty for six months.
  • We go away for three weeks every summer.
  • My boss will be in Italy for the next ten days.

To measure duration up to the present, we use a present perfect tense (see here), not a present tense.

  • I’ve known her for a long time. (not I know her for a long time.)
  • We’ve lived here for 20 years. (not We live here for 20 years.)

A present tense with for refers to duration into the future. Compare:

  • How long are you here for? (= Until when …?)
  • How long have you been here for? (= Since when …?)

We can often leave out for in an informal style, especially with How long …? And for is not usually used before all.

  • How long have you been waiting (for)?
  • We’ve been here (for) six weeks.
  • I’ve had a headache all day.

for and since with perfect tenses: the difference​

For and since can both be used with a present perfect to talk about duration up to the present. They are not the same. Compare:

Grammar

for + period

  • I’ve known her for three days. (not … since three days.)
  • It’s been raining for weeks.
Grammar

since + starting point

  • I’ve known her since Tuesday.
  • It’s been raining since the beginning of the month.

With a past perfect, for and since refer to duration up to a particular past moment.

  • She’d been working there for a long time. (not … since a long time.)
  • She’d been working there since 1988.

in after negatives and superlatives​

After negatives and superlatives, in can be used to talk about duration. This is normal in American English.

  • I haven’t seen him for/in months.
  • It was the worst storm for/in ten years.

from and since​

From and since give the starting points of actions, events or states: they say when things begin or began.

Grammar

from/since + starting point

  • I’ll be here from three o’clock onwards.
  • I work from nine to five.
  • From now on, I’m going to go running every day.
  • From his earliest childhood he loved music.
  • I’ve been waiting since six o’clock.
  • I’ve known her since January.

We use since (with a perfect tense) especially when we measure duration from a starting point up to the present, or up to a past time that we are talking about.

  • I’ve been working since six o’clock, and I’m getting tired. (not I’ve been working from six o’clock …)
  • I had been working since six o’clock, and I was getting tired.

From is used in other cases.

  • The shop was open from eight in the morning, but the boss didn’t arrive till ten. (not The shop was open since eight …)
  • I’ll be at home from Tuesday morning (on). (not … since Tuesday morning.)

From is sometimes possible with a present perfect, especially in expressions that mean ‘right from the start’.

  • She’s been like that from her childhood. (or … since her childhood.)
  • From/Since the moment they were married, they’ve quarrelled.
  • From/Since the dawn of civilisation, people have made war.
note

For from … to and from … until, (see here).

For more about tenses with since, (see here).

For since meaning ‘as’ or ‘because’, (see here).