Shadowing Practice: FOR or SINCE? | Stop Making This Common Mistake - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Hey everyone!
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Welcome back to Daily English Talk.
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Yes!
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We are so happy you are here with us today.
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If you want to keep learning English with us, right now.
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It really helps our channel grow.
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And today's lesson is a good one.
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We're talking about two little words that confuse almost every English learner.
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Exactly, Tom.
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For and since.
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Oh, Lily.
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Don't get me started on this one.
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If this is your first time watching, welcome to the family.
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We make a new English lesson every single day.
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Every day.
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Rain or shine, even when Tom forgets his lines.
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Which happens more than you think.
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It's true.
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Don't judge me.
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What?
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What happened?
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Well, actually, something happened to me this week because of these two words.
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Wait, really?
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Yeah, it wasn't great.
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Okay, now I need to know, what happened?
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Let's just say I sent a text message to someone important and I used the wrong word.
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Just one word.
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One word changed everything?
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One word.
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And that person has not replied to me yet.
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Okay, everyone watching, here's a question for you.
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Tom sent a message using for or since in the wrong way, and it caused a big misunderstanding.
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Before we tell you the story, guess this.
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Who do you think Tom sent that message to?
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This is going to be embarrassing.
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Write your guess in the comments below.
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We won't tell you the answer.
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You'll have to watch and figure it out yourself.
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Good luck!
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Okay, so tell me everything.
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What happened with this text message?
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Okay, so you know I've been living in my new apartment now, right?
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Yes, the one with the tiny kitchen.
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The one with the tiny kitchen, exactly.
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So my landlord, Mr. Baker, he messaged me asking how long I've been living there.
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He wanted it for some paperwork.
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Okay, simple question.
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You would think so.
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So I wanted to say I have lived here since March because I moved in in March, right?
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Right, since March, that's correct.
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But instead, I typed, I have lived here for March. For March? For March.
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Like March is a length of time.
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Tom, March isn't a duration.
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It's a point in time.
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I know that now, but at the time, I was cooking dinner, texting with one hand, and my brain just mixed the words up.
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So what did Mr. Baker say?
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He wrote back, I'm sorry, I don't understand.
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Do you mean since March or for a specific number of months?
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Oh no, he was confused. So confused.
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And then I tried to fix it, but I made it worse.
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Worse?
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How?
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I wrote, sorry, I mean since two months.
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Since two months, Tom?
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No!
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I know.
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Since doesn't go with a number of months like that.
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I panicked!
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Oh my goodness, so now he thinks you don't know how long you've lived in your own apartment.
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Basically, yes, and that's why he hasn't replied yet.
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I think he's still trying to understand my timeline.
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Okay, well, don't worry, because today we are going to fix this problem for you, and for everyone watching, too.
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Please, save me from my landlord's confusion.
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That's exactly what we're going to do.
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Okay, so let's break this down simply.
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For and since both talk about time, but they answer different questions.
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Different questions?
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Like what?
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For answers the question, how long?
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It talks about a period of time, a duration.
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So like for two months, for five years, for a long time.
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Exactly!
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is always followed by a length of time, a number of minutes, days, months, years.
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Okay, I think I understand that part.
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Good!
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Now, since is different.
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Since answers the question, when did it start?
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It talks about a starting point.
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Starting point, like a specific moment.
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Yes!
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Since March, since 2020, since Monday, since I woke up.
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Oh, so since is always connected to a moment in time, not a length of time.
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Exactly.
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You got it.
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So my mistake was I used for with March, which is a specific point, not a duration.
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Yes, that's the mistake.
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And then you used since with two months, which is a duration, not a point.
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I basically used both words backwards.
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You really did.
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But hey, that's how we learn.
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Ah, poor Mr. Baker. So confused.
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Let's give everyone a simple trick to remember this.
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Yes, please.
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I need a trick.
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If you can count it, like, two months, five years, ten minutes, use four.
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Okay.
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Four plus a number.
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Exactly.
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And if it's a specific time or date, like, March, Monday, 2020, or an event, like, since I moved here, use since.
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Since plus a starting point.
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That's actually pretty simple when you explain it like that.
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It really is.
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Both words are used with the present perfect tense usually, like, I have lived, she has worked, we have known.
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Present perfect, right, because the action started in the past and continues now.
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Exactly, that connects everything together.
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Okay, let's go through some examples together with real stories so it really sticks in your memory.
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I love a good story.
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First example.
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I have known my best friend for 10 years.
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10 years.
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Wow.
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Who's your best friend?
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Her name is Hannah.
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We met in university and we have been close for 10 years now.
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That's a long friendship.
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It really is.
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We still call each other every week.
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And notice I said four 10 years because 10 years is a length of time, a duration.
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Right, because you can count it.
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One year, two years, all the way to 10.
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Exactly.
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Now you try, Tom.
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Make a sentence with four.
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Okay, um, I have had my car for three years.
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Perfect.
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That's a great example.
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Actually, my car has had more problems for three years, too.
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Oh no, is it breaking down again?
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The check engine light has been on for two weeks.
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I just ignore it now.
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Oh, Tom, that's dangerous!
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It's fine, it's fine.
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Probably.
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Okay, next example.
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I have lived in this city since 2019. Since 2019?
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That's when you moved here?
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Yes.
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I moved here in 2019, and I've been here ever since.
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So, since 2019 tells us exactly when it started.
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That makes sense.
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So, it's a fixed point, not a length.
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Exactly.
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Your turn.
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Make a sentence with since.
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Okay, I have worked at my job since last September.
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Great sentence!
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And since that day, my boss still doesn't know my last name.
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What?
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How is that possible?
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I don't know.
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Every time he sees me, he just says, Hey you!
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Like I'm a stranger.
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Tom, that's actually really funny.
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Yeah, hilarious for you.
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Not for my paycheck confidence.
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Okay, okay, let's continue.
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Here's another one.
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For a while, for a long time, for ages.
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Those don't have exact numbers, though.
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Right, but they still describe a duration, even if it's not exact.
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Like, I haven't seen my cousin for ages.
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Oh, I can use that.
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I haven't eaten real pizza for ages.
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Only frozen pizza.
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Tom, frozen pizza isn't real pizza?
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It's pizza-shaped cardboard, Lily.
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That's different.
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Okay, fair point.
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Since can also connect to an action or event, not just a date, like, I've been so happy since I got my new job.
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So since plus a full sentence.
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Yes, exactly.
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Since I got my new job is the starting event.
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Okay, let me try.
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I've been more relaxed since I stopped checking my phone at night.
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I love that example.
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That's very true. And healthy.
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Actually, that's not true at all.
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I check my phone constantly.
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Tom!
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I'm kidding.
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I'm kidding.
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Well, half kidding.
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Now let's put it all together.
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Imagine someone asks you, you, how long have you studied English?
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I could say, I have studied English for five years.
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Perfect, because five years is a duration.
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Or I could say, I have studied English since I was 15.
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Exactly right, because since I was 15 is a starting point.
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Wow, so the meaning is almost the same, but the grammar is different because of how we're describing the time.
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Exactly.
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And that's the whole secret.
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Ask yourself, is this a length of time or a starting point?
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Length of time for, starting point since.
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Got it.
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Now you'll never confuse your poor landlord again.
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Please don't remind me.
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I still feel guilty about Mr. Baker.
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I'm sure he'll forgive you.
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I hope so.
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I really like that apartment.
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Okay, let's do a quick recap of what we learned today.
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For is used with a length of time, a duration, like for two years, for a while, for ten minutes.
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And since is used with a specific starting point, like a date, a time, or an event.
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Since 2020, since Monday, since I woke up.
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And both are usually used with the present perfect tense, because the action started in the past and continues now.
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Exactly!
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If you remember just one thing from today, remember this.
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Can you count it?
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Use 4.
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Is it a starting point?
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Use since.
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Simple as that.
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And I'm proud of you for learning this today, because so many English learners mix these up.
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Even some Toms mix these up too, apparently.
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Even some Toms, yes!
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Okay, now it's your turn.
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In the comments below, write one sentence using 4, and one sentence using since.
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Tell us how long you've been learning English or when you started.
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We really want to read your sentences, so don't be shy.
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Write them down.
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And don't forget, what's your guess about question from earlier?
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Who do you think Tom sent that confusing text message to?
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Please be gentle with your guesses.
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We'll see all your comments, so make sure to join the conversation.
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Well, that's it for today's lesson, everyone.
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We hope for and since make a lot more since now.
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And we hope you had fun with us too.
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If you enjoyed this video, please give it a like, and if you're new here, subscribe so you don't miss our daily lessons.
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We upload a brand new episode every single day, so there's always something new to learn with us.
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Thank you so much for spending this time with us today.
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See you in the next episode.
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Bye everyone!
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And wish me luck with Mr. Baker.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “FOR or SINCE?”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Tom, exactly, March, starting, English. This video has 243 sentences and 1712 words to shadow. The speech runs for 12:08. The speaker talks at a steady 141 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| duration noun | /dʒʊˈɹeɪ.ʃən/ | An amount of time or a particular time interval. |
| confuse verb | /kənˈfjuːz/ | to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder (somebody); to afflict by being complicated, contradictory, or otherwise difficult to understand |
| learner noun | /ˈlɜɹnəɹ/ | One who is learning; one receiving instruction. |
| landlord noun | /ˈlæn(d).lɔɹd/ | A person that leases real property; a lessor. |
| tense noun | /tɛns/ | The property of indicating the point in time at which an action or state of being occurs or exists. |
| freeze verb | /ˈfɹiːz/ | Especially of a liquid, to become solid due to low temperature. |
| embarrass verb | /ɪmˈbæɹəs/ | To disrupt someone's composure or comfort with acting publicly or freely. |
| misunderstand verb | /mɪs.ʌn.də(ɹ)ˈstænd/ | To understand incorrectly, while believing one has understood correctly. |
| paycheck noun | /ˈpeɪ.t͡ʃɛk/ | A periodic payment, usually in the form of a paper check, received by an employee from an employer for work performed. |
| cardboard noun | /ˈkɑɹdˌbɔɹd/ | A wood-based material resembling heavy paper, used in the manufacture of boxes, cartons and signs. |
| backward adjective | /ˈbækwɚd/ | Situated toward or at the rear of something. |
| paperwork noun | /ˈpeɪ.pɚˌwɝk/ | Routine work involving written documents. |
| upload verb | /ˈʌpˌloʊd/ | To transfer data to a computer on a network, especially to a server on the Internet. |
| subscribe verb | /səbˈskɹaɪb/ | To write (one’s name) at the bottom of a document; to sign (one's name). |
| goodness noun | /ˈɡʊdnəs/ | The state or characteristic of being good. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| wake up verb | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | To stop sleeping; to awake. |
| break down verb | To stop functioning. | |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Don't get me started on this one.
- We won't tell you the answer.
- You'll have to watch and figure it out yourself.
- Who's your best friend?
- That's when you moved here?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been living · you've been learning |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has not replied · have lived · you've lived |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is always followed · is always connected |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | March, which is · months, which is |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 41 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: duration /dʒʊˈɹeɪ.ʃən/, shine /ʃaɪn/, confusion /kənˈfjuːʒən/
- Long words — get the stress right: misunderstand /mɪs.ʌn.də(ɹ)ˈstænd/, hilarious /hɪˈlɛə.ɹi.əs/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like duration, confuse, learner.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.