Mastering "Since Last Christmas": A Simple Grammar Guide
Do you ever wonder how to talk about something that started at a specific point in the past and is still continuing now? English has many useful adverbial phrases of time for this! Today, we're diving into "since last Christmas" โ a phrase that helps describe when an action or situation began and continues up to the present. Understanding how to use it correctly is key for fluency in English and will greatly improve your sentence structure.
Table of Contents
- What Does "since last Christmas" Mean?
- What Type of Adverbial Phrase Is "since last Christmas"?
- Example Sentences with "since last Christmas"
- When and How to Use "since last Christmas"
- Summary and Practice Tip
What Does "since last Christmas" Mean?
"Since last Christmas" means from the time of the last Christmas holiday until now. It points to a specific moment in the past (the last Christmas) as the starting point of an ongoing situation or action. This phrase acts as a verb modifier, telling us when something has been happening.
More: Mastering 'In the Last Few Seconds' Your Guide to English Timing
What Type of Adverbial Phrase Is "since last Christmas"?
This is an adverbial phrase of time. It specifies a past point in time from which an action or state has continued. Its grammatical structure is simple:
since: A preposition that indicates the starting point of a period.last Christmas: A noun phrase referring to a specific past holiday.
"Since last Christmas" is almost always used with the present perfect tense (or present perfect continuous) because it describes an action that started in the past and continues to the present. You cannot use it with the simple past tense.
Here are common sentence patterns:
- Subject + has/have + Past Participle + since last Christmas.
- Subject + has/have + been + Verb-ing + since last Christmas.
More: Mastering 'When the Bell Rang': A Simple English Grammar Guide
Example Sentences with "since last Christmas"
Here are some sentence examples to help you see "since last Christmas" in action:
- I haven't eaten chocolate since last Christmas. I'm trying to be healthier.
- Our dog has grown so much since last Christmas! He's huge now.
- Person A: "Have you heard from Sarah lately?"
- Person B: "No, I haven't talked to her since last Christmas."
- They've been planning their wedding since last Christmas, so it's a huge event.
More: Mastering 'for the last few hours': A Simple Grammar Guide
When and How to Use "since last Christmas"
You'll use "since last Christmas" in everyday conversations, when telling stories, or simply describing a current situation that began specifically at the last Christmas. It's very common in informal speech and general discussions.
Common Variations: While "since last Christmas" is specific, the word "since" can be used with any specific point in time: since yesterday, since I was a child, since 2020, since Monday. Remember that "since" indicates a starting point, while "for" indicates a duration (e.g., "for two months"). This is a common point of confusion for ESL writing tips.
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Using Simple Past: Do not use "since last Christmas" with the simple past. For example, "I didn't see him since last Christmas" is incorrect. It should be "I haven't seen him since last Christmas."
- Confusing with "For": Remember, "since" is for a starting point, "for" is for a duration. (According to Cambridge Dictionary, "since" is used to refer to a point in time, and "for" is used to refer to a period of time.)
Summary and Practice Tip
"Since last Christmas" is a useful adverbial phrase of time that tells us when an ongoing action or situation began. It's always used with the present perfect or present perfect continuous tense. Mastering this grammar rule will help you describe timelines clearly and achieve natural sentence use.
Practice Tip: Think about something you haven't done, or something that has changed, since last Christmas. Write one or two sentences using this phrase. Share them in your notebook or with an English-speaking friend! If you're looking for more English grammar help, explore other articles on adverbial phrases.
