Present Perfect Simple and Continuous and Past Simple with 'for' and 'since' and 'ago'
(see Past Time) with 'for' and 'since' and 'ago'.
'For' a period of time:
e.g. for three years
'since' a point in time e.g. since January (up to now)

e.g. I've been in Kuwait for 3 years.  e.g. I've been here since January.
n.b. they are both used with the Present Perfect.

'ago' is very similar but it's used with the Simple Past.
e.g. My father died four years ago.
e.g. He has been dead for four years.
e.g. He has been dead since 1997 - it's 2000 now.

Practice Exercise:

Choose 'for', 'since' or 'ago' with the Present Perfect, Present Perfect Continuous or the Simple Past.
1. We/arrive/London/5 months.
2. They/stay/Bangkok/5 days now.
3. She/know/him/Friday. And she thinks she's in love with him!
4. My friend/die/last month.
5. We/not see/each other/for ages.
6. Live/California/they/since 1952? So long?

Answers:

1. We arrived in London 5 months ago.
2. They have been staying in Bangkok for five days now.
3. She's only known him since Friday. And she thinks she's in love with him.
4. My friend died a month ago.
5. We haven't seen each other for ages.
6. Have they lived in California since 1952? So long?

See The A - Z of English Grammar & Usage for the rules.

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