Think about this sentence: I have been here since she asked me to stay.
Does it mean from the time she asked me or because she asked me?
Answer: From the time she asked me to stay
How do we know? The sentence uses present perfect “have been here”.
Since is primarily used to mean when something has started.
- I have been here since 2010.
- We have been working together since the beginning of the project.
Be careful: Since is sometime used to mean because or the reason for:
- Since we work together, I know him quite well.
Could that sentence be confusing for a non-native English speaker? Could it be misunderstood as “from the time we have worked together”?
Here is my simple recommendation to avoid confusion:
- Use because if you mean because/the reason for something.
Because (not since) we work together, I know him quite well. - Use since only to indicate the beginning of something (usually present/progressive perfect)
Robert Moneyhon is an ESL Trainer, Workshop Facilitator and Presentation Coach
Contact: robert.moneyhon@gmail.com 054-550-6566
Learning English in Israel, Israel, Training in Israel, Executives, Business English, ESL, Tel Aviv, Professional English, Communicating in English, English as a second language