How to use the prepositions of time: during, for, since?

1. Preposition: during

The preposition during refers to a time frame that can either cover the entire duration of a specific period or a portion of time between the beginning and end of the said period. It does not give a precision of the duration of the event.

Covering the entire duration of a specific period

1. during the day
2. during the night
3. during the summer
4. during the winter
5. during the Second World War

Many people died during the Second World War.
The movie theatre will be closed during the renovation period from October to December*.
The school will be closed during the summer holiday.
We need to remain vigilant during cyclonic season.
The team did not perform well during the first half of the game.
He made a lot of friends during his college years.
She usually drinks coffee during her lunch break.

*Although we say from October to December, it is the words renovation period that dictate the use of the preposition during.

Covering a portion of time between the beginning and end of a specific period

1. during the party
2. during the movie
3. during the night
4. during the meeting

I lost my keys during the party last night.
I fell asleep during the movie.
We had a lot of fun during the last summer holiday.
We had a power outage during the storm last week*.
We had an accident during our trip to Paris.
There was a strong turbulence during our flight to Amsterdam.
US President Barack Obama was born during the Vietnam War.

*Sometimes it is not clear if an event covers the entire duration of the mentioned time period or just a portion of it.

2. Preposition: for

We use the preposition for to indicate the duration of an action or event.

3. Preposition: since

The preposition since refers to a period of time starting at a specific point in the past and continuing up to a later point, which may be the present.