Understanding Prepositions of Time: 'For', 'Since', 'From', and 'In'

Prepositions of time help us indicate when something happened, is happening, or will happen. The correct preposition depends on how we are referring to the time – whether it's a specific point in time, a duration, or a period.

Analysing the Sentence: "I had not slept or eaten anything properly __________ two days."

The sentence describes a situation that has continued over a period of time. The phrase "two days" refers to a length or duration of time. We need a preposition that correctly expresses this duration.

Evaluating the Options

• Since: The preposition 'since' is used to indicate a specific point in time when something started (e.g., since Monday, since 2005, since he arrived). It answers the question "from what point in time?". The phrase "two days" is not a specific point in time, but a duration. Therefore, 'since' is incorrect here.
• From: 'From' can indicate a starting point in time, often used with 'to' (e.g., from morning to evening). While it indicates a beginning, it doesn't typically specify a duration up to the present or a specific past point in the way needed here. It's not the standard preposition to express the duration of an action or state over a period.
• In: 'In' can be used with periods of time to mean 'within a certain period' (e.g., in two hours) or 'after a certain period' (e.g., I will finish it in a day). However, it is not used with perfect tenses (like 'had not slept or eaten') to express the duration over which something has happened or not happened.
• For: The preposition 'for' is used to indicate a period or duration of time (e.g., for two hours, for three weeks, for many years). It answers the question "how long?". The phrase "two days" is a duration, and 'for' is the correct preposition to use with durations, especially with perfect tenses, to show how long a state or action has lasted or not lasted.

Why 'For' is the Correct Choice

The sentence "I had not slept or eaten anything properly __________ two days" describes a state ("not having slept or eaten properly") that has continued for a specific duration, which is "two days". The preposition 'for' is precisely used to express this kind of duration.

Consider these examples:

• I have lived here for five years. (duration = five years)
• It has been raining for three hours. (duration = three hours)
• They haven't visited us for a long time. (duration = a long time)

In our sentence, the duration is "two days", making 'for' the appropriate preposition.

The completed sentence is: "I had not slept or eaten anything properly for two days."