Many English learners have trouble knowing when to use during or for. Many people mix up these words because they don’t know how they are different. This could be because their language does not have the same difference between words. This is why it is always important to try to forget how your native language uses function words. What exactly is the difference between these words?
“During” is for an event in the time
Usually, the boundaries of this event can be unclear. The important thing is that you do not use a date or a number with this preposition. “During” always goes with a noun that is not normally a time but tells us when in time something happens.
It is rude to use your phone during the movie.
= While the movie is playing, you should not use your phone.
“The movie” is not a time like 2 hours, 5 minutes, or 7 years. We understand it like a time, but it is not a true time. That is why we use “during.”
During my childhood, I loved to play outside.
= While I was a child, I loved to play outside.
The mom always sits in the living room quietly during her baby’s nap.
= While the baby sleeps, the mom sits in the living room.
“For” is for a defined period of time
Say “for” if you want to talk about a length of time. You should always uses time words with “for.” This could be 10 seconds, 5 hours, or 3 centuries.
I studied in Toronto for four years.
= Four years passed while I was a student in Toronto.
It is possible to use indefinite time words, with or without “a.”
The woman kept the car on for a minute while she went inside to grab something she forgot.
= One minute passed while the car continued working so that the woman could find something she forgot.
For years, English was difficult for me.
= Several years passed while I had a hard time with English.
Always VS. Forever
Always is about generalizations.
My dog always waits for me to come home.
= It is very common that my dog waits for me.
Forever comes from this use of “for”(length of time) +ever. “Forever” is about a length of time that never ends.
This restaurant is so busy! It feels like we have been waiting for a table forever.
= It feels like the length of time of our wait is endless.
The quick way to know whether you should use “always” or “forever” is replacing the word. If you can say “for 100 years,” in this situation, use “forever.”
Summary
- during: events, nouns, non-time words that we say like times
- for: time words like seconds, minutes, hours, etc.
Now, you know when you should use during or for.
Hopefully, during this article, you got some useful knowledge that you can use to improve your English for years.
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Keep on improving your English during your free time!
