She's loved singing since she was a kid. --> She loved singing after she was a kid. / She loved singing from the time (that) she was a kid.

[Marika33]

Are these fine or are some of them ungrammatical?

Patterns:

• 1) since 1984/January/(etc.) --> from 1984/January/(etc.)
• 2) since he was ten/fifteen(etc.) --> after he turned ten, from the time (that) he turned ten/fifteen(etc.)
• 3) since he was a cop/child/(etc.) --> after he was a cop/child/(etc.), from the time (that) he was a cop/child/(etc.)
• 4) since "it" happened --> after "it" happened, from the time (that) "it" happened (it = whatever)

Examples:

• 1) I've been working here since 2014. --> I worked there from 2014.
• 2) He's riden a bike since he was eight. --> He rode a bike after he turned eight. / He rode a bike from the time (that) he turned eight.
• 3) She's loved singing since she was a kid. --> She loved singing after she was a kid. / She loved singing from the time (that) she was a kid.
• 4) I've worked for this company since we moved here. --> I worked for that company after we moved there. / I worked for that company from the time (that) we moved there.

+ Can you say "from when" instead of "from the time (that)"?
(I know in 2 you can also say, "He rode a bike from the age of eight").

 

[Piscean]

Most are ok, but She loved singing after she was a kid. doesn't work.

 

[Marika33]

Most are ok, but She loved singing after she was a kid. doesn't work.

Thanks!

Can you say "from when" instead of "from the time (that)" in these?

• He rode a bike from the time (that) he turned eight.
• She loved singing from the time (that) she was a kid.
• I worked for that company from the time (that) we moved there.

 

[Tarheel]

Try:

He learned how to ride a bike when he was eight, and he's been doing that regularly since.

 

[jutfrank]

Can you say "from when" instead of "from the time (that)" in these?

• He rode a bike from the time (that) he turned eight.
• She loved singing from the time (that) she was a kid.
• I worked for that company from the time (that) we moved there.

Yes.

 

[jutfrank]

She has loved singing since she was a kid.

This is not what we're talking about. We're talking about a time frame that starts in the past and also finishes in the past.

 

[Marika33]

Can you say "from when" instead of "from the time (that)" in these?

Yes.

• He rode a bike from when he turned eight.
• She loved singing from when she was a kid.
• I worked for that company from when we moved there.

OK, so these three are fine with "from when", but what should I say instead of "since childhood"?

• He has been studying Italian since childhood.
  (= still studying or has recently stopped)
  --->
• He studied Italian ..(?).. childhood.
  (= no longer studying, maybe he's dead, but it doesn't actually matter since the point is to talk about a time frame that starts in the past and also finishes stops in the past)

Or you can't say that and you would change it to "... from he was a kid" or "... from when he was a kid"?

 

[jutfrank]

what should I say instead of "since childhood"?

Use 'from' instead of 'since'.

He studied Italian from childhood.

Or you can't say that and you would change it to "... from he was a kid"

That's wrong.

or "... from when he was a kid"?

That's fine.

 

[kttlt]

Use 'from' instead of 'since'.

He studied Italian from childhood.

Is He studied Italian since childhood something a native speaker wouldn't say? Is it wrong to use "since" here or would it be acceptable in everyday speech?

 

[Marika33]

Is He studied Italian since childhood something a native speaker wouldn't say? Is it wrong to use "since" here or would it be acceptable in everyday speech?

Not a teacher.

"Since" talks about an unfinished period of time, that's why it's mostly used with perfect tenses (meaning: from a particular time in the past – up to now).

• At this moment (now), she has been here since 4 o’clock.
• At that moment (which was “now” back then), she had been there since 4 o’clock. — reporting the same situation later

In the situation from about (#7), we're talking about a time frame that starts in the past and also stops in the past.

 

[kttlt]

"Since" talks about an unfinished period of time, that's why it's mostly used with perfect tenses (meaning: from a particular time in the past – up to now).

In the situation from about (#7), we're talking about a time frame that starts in the past and also stops in the past.

I understand the general idea. What I was asking is whether a native speaker would always make such a distinction or if He studied Italian since childhood is something that could be heard in colloquial speech even if it's not entirely correct.

 

[jutfrank]

It's wrong and therefore proficient users wouldn't say it. There's nothing colloquial about it.

 

[kttlt]

It's wrong and therefore proficient users wouldn't say it. There's nothing colloquial about it.

OK, I'll be sure to never say it that way then!