SDF
Since, During & For
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Since: We use since with the starting point of an action. This gives us a double S.
- Interrogative: "She has had the pins and needles since the end of March."
- Negative: "I haven't taken the medication since my accident."
- Affirmative: "We have been using the crutches since you suggested we use them."
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During: We use during with defined periods. This gives us a double d.
- Interrogative: "Do you think he came down with the flu during the weekend?"
- Negative: "I can hardly sleep during the night."
- Affirmative: "We exercised a lot during the summer."
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For: We use for with fixed periods. This gives us a double f.
- Interrogative: "Have you had the pins and needles for a long time?"
- Negative: "She has not smoked at all for about six months."
- Affirmative: "Sure. I will jog up the mountain and back for less than an hour."
The SDF Mnemonic
- 'S' with a Starting point. The Schutzstaffel (SS) was Nazi Germany's paramilitary organization, enforcing racial policies, managing concentration camps, and protecting Hitler.
- 'D' with a Defined period. Dungeons & Dragons (DD) is a tabletop role-playing game where players create characters, explore worlds, battle foes, and complete quests guided by a Dungeon Master.
- 'F' with a Fixed period. Fonky Family (FF) is a French hip-hop group known for their raw lyrics, diverse styles, and influence on the French rap scene. They're based in Marseille.
Let's Take It To Another Level
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A "starting point" is where something begins. When we say "since," we mean that something started at a certain time in the past and is still going on now, or was going on at the time of speaking in the past. For example, if you say, "I've been taking this medication since last year," your "starting point" is last year.
It's the moment when you first began taking it! -
A "defined period" is a period that we specify, usually by giving it both a name and a duration. For example, terms like "consultation," "lesson," or "hockey match" are defined periods because we know both their name and how long they last.
So, when you say, "I twisted my ankle during our vacation in Lesotho," you have defined the period of your vacation by its start and end. The word "during" indicates that the event (twisting your ankle) happened at some point between the beginning and the end of that defined period, in tis case… the vacationing. -
A "fixed period" is defined differently, usually by 'science' (week, year, etc.). It's fixed because we can neither shorten it nor lengthen. A minute is 60 seconds, and that's that.
When a patient says, "I've been limping for a fortnight," they mean for two weeks, or for 14 days, or for 336 hours. And that's fixed. That person has been limping from the beginning until now. -
I want you to imagine the word "since." When you write it, you dot the 'i.' That dot represents the starting point! It’s where something starts happening. I want you to visualise that dot.
Example: My son says he has begun to feel better since his first consultation with you.
Now, you might think I forgot "for". Not at all! When you write the letter 'f,' you cross it with a fixed, horizontal line. That line represents a fixed duration–it doesn’t go on forever. It begins… and then stops.
Example: I have been following the treatment for the past two weeks.
Watch Your Verbal Tenses
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Since: Indicates the starting point of an action or condition that continues up to the present. It is often used with the present perfect tense.
Example: - "I have felt nauseated since lunchtime." (Starting point: lunchtime)
Doctor/Patient Context: - Doctor: "When did the pain start?" - Patient: "It’s been bothering me since last Friday." -
During: Refers to something that happens within a defined period. It is often used with the simple past or present tense.
Example: - "The patient fell asleep during the treatment." (Event occurred within the treatment period)
Doctor/Patient Context: - Doctor: "Did you notice any discomfort during the therapy session?" - Patient: "Yes, I felt some sharp pain during the stretching exercises." -
For: Describes the duration of an action within a fixed period. It is used with the present perfect or simple past tense.
Example: - "He massaged the patient for 45 minutes straight." (Duration: 45 minutes)
Doctor/Patient Context: - Doctor: "How long have you been experiencing this headache?" - Patient: "For about three hours now."
Watch Out For These Pitfalls!
Here's the first
heads up: both 'since' and 'for' accomodate the perfect tenses (I haven't slept since
Monday or for three days. Both of these translate into 'depuis' in French.) But as you now know, they're not at all the
same in English. This means that you are not allowed to say 'since two days.' It's incorrect English. Two days isn't a starting point at all. It's a fixed period. So you are allowed to say 'for two days'.
And the second heads up: stop translating. Do not translate. Learn the target language, because it'll be different from your native tongue. Enrich your knowledge of the target language with vocabulary, with ready-made expressions, and with the fun parts: jokes, insults, etc. Never forget that to truly learn a language (or anything, really), you need to live it and to have fun with it. If you translate, you're going to misspeak, for sure, and fail to communicate properly. In French you say 'Depuis 4 mois'… in English we say 'For 4 months'. We do not, I repeat, we do not say 'Since 4 months.'
Exercises and Other Activities
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