Distinguishing Between Since & From

Since vs From

The difficulty in understanding when to use since and from arises because the distinction between the two is not easy to comprehend. Both since and from are prepositions, but unlike from, since also functions as a conjunction and an adverb. The origin of since can be traced back to Late Middle English, while from comes from the Old English word fram. It is worth noting that the word from is used in many phrases such as from day to day, as from, and from time to time.

What does From mean?

From is a preposition that is used in the Ablative case to indicate distance or place, as illustrated in the following sentences:
I moved from Canberra to Sydney in 1988.
She came from London this morning.
In the first sentence, the use of the word from suggests distance or place, whereas in the second sentence, it suggests place. The preposition from is often followed by another preposition, to. It is rare for a sentence to begin with the word from. The word from is sometimes used to indicate difference, as in the sentence:
The mango is different from the banana.

What does Since mean?

On the other hand, since indicates a sense of beginning, as demonstrated in the following sentences:
He has been coughing since morning.
He has been playing tennis since the age of 11.
In both sentences, the use of the word since suggests the meaning of beginning. In the second sentence, the usage of since conveys the meaning ‘he has been playing tennis beginning from the age of 11’. Sometimes, the word since is used in the sense of ‘due to’ or as suggesting ‘a reason’, as in the following sentences:
I came late to the office today since I missed the train.
He could not read the letter since he was blind.
In both sentences, since has been used to show reason. Sometimes, the word since is used in the sense of ‘right from’, as in the sentence:
Since boyhood, he has been playing chess with skill.
The use of the word since suggests the sense of ‘right from’. Note that sentences sometimes begin with since.

Key Takeaways

• From is a preposition used to indicate distance or place, while since indicates a sense of beginning.
• Since is sometimes used in the sense of ‘due to’ or as suggesting ‘a reason’ and ‘right from’.
• Sentences sometimes begin with the word since, but rarely with the word from.