[Grammar] The Present Perfect with since/for (a small question)

[Sunsus]

Hello!
I was doing a grammar exercise the other day and got confused about using for/since in one particular sentence.
Here is one paragraph from the exercise (to provide you with context) :

Thirteen-year-old Ronnie Segal has loved math since he was a little boy. 'I have been interested in numbers for nine years, five months, and two days', says Ronnie. ___ the past year, Ronnie has attended graduate-level classes at the university. He hasn't done badly.

So I was supposed to put for or since in the blank. I put in since and turned out to be wrong)
And my questions:
1.Is it possible to use 'since' in this sentence (with the blank)? And how would it look like then?
2.Is it possible to use simple past (for instance: Last year Ronnie attended... )?

Thanks in advance!

 

[fighting spirit]

Yes, you're right

 

[sarat_106]

Hello!
___ the past year, Ronnie has attended graduate-level classes at the university. He hasn't done badly.

So I was supposed to put for or since in the blank. I put in since and turned out to be wrong)
And my questions:
1.Is it possible to use 'since' in this sentence (with the blank)? And how would it look like then?
2.Is it possible to use simple past (for instance: Last year Ronnie attended... )?

Thanks in advance!

1. No. ‘since’ as a preposition means; continuously from or counting from (some specific time as: since last year or since middle of the year ). You can not say since past year which does not express anything. You can say: for the past year or over the past year or during the past year. Therefore, in the example sentence ‘since’ can not work. Just sift the prepositional phrase to the end and see how it fits precisely.

Ronnie has attended graduate-level classes at the university for the past year.

2. Yes, you can use simple past with specific past time expressiom 'last year' but better woild be present perfect continuous with 'since'; as:
Ronnie has been attending graduate-level classes at the university since the last year.

 

[Sunsus]

sarat_106 thanks a lot! I appreciate your help

 

[Barb_D]

Sarat, I don't understand your answer. You say he cannot use "since the past year" and then you give "since the past year" as an example of correct usage. Can you please clarify?

The reason "since" doesn't work is that since needs a specific reference. You can say "since his last birthday" or "since June of last year" but "the past year" is too broad to work with "since.

The problem with saying "Last year" is that your reader might think you mean "2009 but not continuing into this year. " It doesn't mean the same as "for the past year" which means that it started a year ago and continues now.

 

[sarat_106]

Sarat, I don't understand your answer. You say he cannot use "since the past year" and then you give "since the past year" as an example of correct usage. Can you please clarify?

The reason "since" doesn't work is that since needs a specific reference. You can say "since his last birthday" or "since June of last year" but "the past year" is too broad to work with "since.

The problem with saying "Last year" is that your reader might think you mean "2009 but not continuing into this year. " It doesn't mean the same as "for the past year" which means that it started a year ago and continues now.

I agree, since march last year is very specific but past year is never a specific past time expression and that is what I have tried to explain. However, last year, last month or last day of the week are all considered as specific past time expressions at least in India.

 

[Raymott]

However, last year, last month or last day of the week are all considered as specific past time expressions at least in India.

They are in Australia too.
That makes "Since last year" right, but not "Since the last year".

To make "the last year" specific, you need to add to it.
XYZ cars have become unpopular since the last year of their production.

 

[Barb_D]

I apologize, because I misread in the quote below, but I still disagree that "Since the last year" is okay.

2. Yes, you can use simple past with specific past time expressiom 'last year' but better woild be present perfect continuous with 'since'; as:
Ronnie has been attending graduate-level classes at the university since the last year.

I'm with Ray.

Since last year. -- Okay
Since the last year -- Not okay
For the past year -- Okay