logounam logo-avi
logouapa

Expression of length and/or continuity of actions

Presentation / Objective

1. How many of your relatives are university graduates?


Imagen responsive


2. Have they all studied at the same university?

Read and listen the following dialogue between two senior high school students. Pay attention to the words in bold and the underlined expressions that follow them. Are for and since followed by a date, prepositions?

Click the play button to listen to the conversation between both students.


Did you identify the underlined expressions and words in bold? The words for and since are prepositions use to express and emphasise how long an action has happened. However, they are slightly different.

In this section, you will learn to express the length and continuity of actions that started in the past but are still happening in the present moment. Furthermore, you will learn about some long-lasting traditions in some British renowned schools and colleges, to contrast such traditions with the ones you have possibly celebrated during your life as a student.



Objective

At the end of this section, you will: Use prepositions since and for in present perfect and present perfect continuous sentences to express the length and continuity of actions that started in the past and are still happening in the present.

Content

Expression of length and/or continuity of actions

For and Since are prepositions used to express the length and continuity of actions started in the past and continuing in the present. They are different because the first one specifies the time length of the action, while the second one defines the moment when the action began.


Look the following image to understand the difference between these two prepositions and see how you can use them to make sentences. If you move the mouse over the red blinking spots, you will find some example phrases that you can use in each case.

Reading

Activity 1

Unusual Traditions in British Schools and Colleges


As you will read in the text, prepositions for and since allow us to express the length and continuity of action started in the past and still happening in the present.

In the following reading from the Oxford Royal http://bit.ly/2dLSTdE you will practice what you just learned about for and since.

Complete the sentences with for or since. Once you have finished, click on Check to see your results.

Have you ever celebrated the end of a semester by playing “the wall game”? Which traditions have you celebrated at the end of a scholar year or semester n your student life? Do you think a foreigner would find such traditions normal or peculiar? Here are four traditions observed in some British schools and colleges, are they strange to you?


Winchester College

Eton College


Rugby College


Westminster School




Writing

Activity 2

Prepositions in everyday situations


In the previous activity, you to practised identifying for and since, as well as the kind of phrases that follow each preposition. Now you will reinforce that learning by using for and since in the context of everyday situations.


Read each one of the following sentences. Complete these sentences by choosing since or for in each case. Click on Start to answer the exercise. When you finish completing the sentences, click on Check Answers to see how you did. You can only do the exercise once.




Listening

Activity 3

Since and for at Oxford?

As previously discussed, for and since prepositions allow us to adequately express actions that started in the past and continue in the present. Narrative texts are full of sentences exemplifying this.


In this activity you will practice your listening skills to identify, in narration, the two prepositions studied on this topic.


To listen to a radio commercial click the play button.



Once you have listened to the audio, start to answer the exercise. Before listening to the recording, read the following questions. After listening to the audio choose the answer that correctly completes each of them. When you have finished, click on check answers option to see how you did. You can only do the exercise once.


Speaking

Activity 4

Talking about personal information


In previous activities, you have had the opportunity to reinforce your learning on the use of prepositions since and for, however, it is also essential to strengthen your pronunciation skills.

Read the next questions and write down your answers in a sheet of paper. You must use either since or for in your answers, followed by the correct time expression. Remember to begin your answers with “I have…”


  1. How long have you known your best friend?
  2. How long have you practised speaking English?
  3. How long have you been a student at UNAM?
  4. How long have you lived in the apartment or house you live in now?
  5. How long have you studied English?


In this activity, you will record yourself reading the questions and answers you wrote before. Use the free app vocaroo.com .

You will find a checklist to evaluate your performance in grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and fluency.

Self-assessment

Testing your knowledge

Now that you have finished studying this topic and have done all the activities do this exercise to self-evaluate your learning in using time expressions./p>

In this activity, you'll have to solve a crossword puzzle. Click on Start and then click in any number the boxes. Read the de question and think about the correct answer. With the help of a hint, you’ll find 5 sentences. Write letter by letter the answer in each of the boxes corresponding to the question number. When you have finished, click on Check Answers option to see how you did. You can do the exercise as many times as necessary.

References

Basic references

• Schrampfer-Azar, B. (1992). Fundamentals of English Grammar. Nueva York: Prentice Hall p. 171-173
• Oxenden, C. & Latham-Koening, C. (1997). American English File 2. Nueva York: Oxford University Press p. 76-77



Complementary references

• Oxford Royale Academy (2014) 10 Fascinating Rituals and Traditions of English Schools. Section: Articles. Consulted on 5 September, 2016 of http://bit.ly/2dLSTdE
• Eton College (2016) The Wall Game. Section: School life. Consulted on 5 September, 2016 of http://bit.ly/2kTbmFL