For / since

For / since
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For / since
Message from angrepa posted on 02-09-2013 at 15:26:20 (D | E | F)
Hello!
In exercise 101100, sentence 4
¨They have been expecting us to do that hard work SINCE they know us.
Could it be "for" with the meaning "because"...? Can "for" be accepted with this meaning?
Thank you for any reply.

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Edited by lucile83 on 02-09-2013 17:14

Re: For / since from jonquille, posted on 02-09-2013 at 17:25:58 (D | E)
Hello angrepa,

They have been expecting us to do that hard work SINCE they know us.

Using the word "for" instead of "since" ...is understandable, but not used. In that case, the word "because" (as you proposed) would be correct. In this case, the words "because" and "since" have the same meaning.

So:
They have been expecting us to do that hard work SINCE they know us. (correct!)
They have been expecting us to do that hard work because they know us. (correct...though not a choice in the exercise)

Hope this helped!

Re: For / since from gerondif, posted on 02-09-2013 at 17:44:43 (D | E)
Hello,
the exercise was about choosing between for or since used to indicate time, not cause:

I have been expecting you for two hours (duration), since two o'clock (starting point), since I arrived here (starting point)

Normally, the verb should be in the preterite after since used in that meaning of time because it refers to the beginning of a past action that is still going on in the present time. And so, the sentence of the test might be wrong in that respect.

They have been expecting us to work hard since they met us in 2011 / since we met/ since we started working together two years ago.

"To know" being a state verb and not an action verb, "They have been expecting us to do that hard work since they knew us" sounds awkward although it respects the logical time pattern of since as a time conjunction.

So, in a way, it isn't surprising that you should think of "for" meaning "because" followed by a present tense.

We have helped him a lot as he needs help, since he needs help, for he needs help, because he needs help: But it is another grammar point.

Re: For / since from angrepa, posted on 02-09-2013 at 21:15:40 (D | E)
Thank you a lot for your explanation.
Kind regards

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