ENGLISH
REFERENCE

for

prep.
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈfɔɹ// UK //fˈɔː// for Archaic Dialect Formal General-service Literary

prep. used to show who is intended to have or use something, or to explain a reason or purpose. You also use it to talk about a length of time.

prep. indicating the intended recipient, beneficiary, or purpose of an action. Also functions as a temporal marker to denote duration.


SIMPLE

I bought a small gift for you.

CONTEXTUAL

The local community center provides free classes for adults who want to learn a second language.

COMPLEX

The committee debated the proposal for several hours before deciding that the long-term benefits for the environment outweighed the immediate financial costs.

Usage

When used to indicate duration, it is followed by a period of time. When used as a conjunction, it is formal and means 'because'.

Pitfall

I have lived here since three yearsI have lived here for three yearsUse 'for' to describe a duration of time; 'since' is only for a specific starting point in the past.

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