Can I rewrite
“That was years ago. I’ve changed jobs since then.”
as
“That was years ago. I’ve since changed jobs.”?
Yes, you can, Allifathima.
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That was years ago. I’ve changed job since.
In my opinion there is no need for “then” in the first sentence.
The second one looks odd to me.
You are right that the ‘then’ is optional in the first sentence.
There is nothing odd about the second sentence.
talking about the since… Can I ask something like “Since when dont you go to Mcdonalds” for example… What I want to mean with this question is how long have a person without go to mcdonald… or “Since when do you play soccer” is like how long have this person playing soccer in his life or something like that lol
Hi,
Probably the present perfect would sit better in your sentences as in:
Since when have you stopped going to Mcdooda?
Since when have you started playing football?
Alan
=0 mmmm i got it… but then is it common ask “since when”? lol
since when have you being speaking English?
It’s probably more common (but not more correct) than ‘How long have you been speaking English?’
Hi HumbertoDeOz,
The use of the simple present in your sentences would be more likely if you were mainly expressing surprise (or possibly doubt) about a fact, and were not actually very interested in how long the fact has been true.
- Since when don’t you go to McDonalds?
For example, this might be said in a situation in which the speaker believes the listener is always happy to go to McDonalds and/or always agrees to go BUT the other person (the listener) has just turned down an opportunity to go to McDonalds.
- Since when do you play soccer?
This might be used, for example, in a situation in which the speaker believed until just a moment ago that the listener did NOT play soccer. This sentence might be used to mean basically this: I’m surprised by the fact that you play soccer.
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In my opinion grammar doesn’t allow usage of the indefinite tense with adverbs of time.
“Since when don’t you go to McDonalds?” doesn’t substitute “How long have you been going to McDonalds.”
Thanks
Are you attempting to ask a question, E2e4? What do you understand ‘the indefinite tense’ to be? Present simple, past simple and future simple?
Actually, it doesn’t really matter much because your statement can only be viewed as incorrect. Your example included the present simple, the present perfect simple, and the present perfect continuous, and all three of those ‘tenses’ are used with adverbs of time quite regularly (and grammatically). In fact, I can’t think of any ‘tense’ that cannot be used with adverbs of time. The only thing you might say is that some adverbs of time tend to be used more often with certain ‘tenses’ than with others.
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I always forget his name.
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I am always forgetting his name.
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I have always loved Beethoven.
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I am now finished.
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I am finishing up now.
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I have now finished.
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He goes to the gym for an hour before he goes to work.
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He went to the gym for an hour before he went to work.
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He has gone to the gym for an hour before going to work for as long as I can remember.
‘Always’ and ‘now’ and ‘before’ all refer to time.
I think I just finished explaining a typical sort of usage (and meaning) for “Since when don’t you go to McDonalds?” Which part did you not understand?
Did you notice this part?
It would be helpful if you refrained from making statements and focused much more on posting questions. I think that would make everyone’s life easier. It certainly would make it easier to respond to your posts.
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Mmm I think I’m not clear yet.
Is the “Since when don’t you go to Mcdonalds?” equivalent to the “How long do you have without go to Mcdonalds?” (I didnt mean How long have you been going to mcdonalds).
What I really want to know is if the Since when… is used by native speakers and if it is correct.
An answer for that question would be: I havent gone to mcdonalds since the last week. Or something like that.
Or to the playing football one would be: I have been playing football 3 years…
Do you understand what i mean? xD
How long is it since you’ve been to McDonalds?
I haven’t been since last week.
How long have you been playing football?
I have been playing for 3 years.
‘Since when’ is sometimes used in those terms by native English speakers, but it is not correct there.
Esl-Expert’s post (#9) above explains the most common usage.
I’ve found myself puzzled from time to time with these versions too: a) How long is it since you’ve been to McDonald’s? b) How long has it been since you’ve been to McDonald’s? c) How long has it been since you were to McDonald’s? d) How long is it since you were to McDonald’s? Which is the orthodox? On the orthodox basis, of course. Personally, I never use c) and d), but are they all right internationally or grammatically? Light shedding welcomed.
Hi James,
There are different time perspectives here.
a) Here you measure the period from now to some time in the indefinite past.
b) Here you measure the time from now to some time in the indefinite past, twice.
c) Here you measure the time from now through a period of time to a definite time in the past.
d) Here you measure the time from now to a definite time in the past.
Quite frankly it would be simpler to ask: When were you last at Macdooda?
Alan
c) How long has it been since you were AT McDonalds.
d) How long is it since you were AT McDonalds?
Thank you, Alan and Bees. Very helpful…, and Alan’s also soothed my mathematically laid-out nerves and Bees’ put the pieces together.
Indeed, why not ‘When were you last at McDonald’s?’ to save the trouble once and for all! 
Regards
Thank you!