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Example:

I had no idea how deep the forest really was, though the people around often used the word endless to describe it. And I believed that was the case, for I'd never seen the end of it, not even standing from the tallest balcony.

Will the meaning change if I use since, instead? I'm not sure why, but I feel using for will make the passage sound a bit "dated"?

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  • The choice between for, since and as depends entirely upon the rest of the content, whether it is formal or informal, and if literary or not. Since is overly formal, as is always a convenient option, for is literary. In the example case, use of a direct because would be helping the reader a bit.
    – Kris
    Commented Feb 5, 2014 at 6:24
  • It's perhaps better to say something like 'dated' rather than 'old English'. 'Old English' is the earliest form of the language, sometimes known as 'Anglo-Saxon'.
    – Barrie England
    Commented Feb 5, 2014 at 7:30
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    @Barrie England Thanks, that was the word I was looking for.
    – wyc
    Commented Feb 5, 2014 at 7:56

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In your example, yes, they may be used interchangeably. I agree that "for" sounds a bit old-fashioned, but as a personal preference, I would use "as" instead - it seems to flow more rhythmically, and all three share "because" as a possible definition.

"And I believed that was the case, as I'd never seen the end of it, not even standing from the tallest balcony."

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  • I think that in this case for is less "old-fashioned" than "literary", and I think it works better here than either as or since. (When I read just the one sentence, as sounds fine, but when I read the whole thing, I like for better. Though I'm sure that's subjective.)
    – ruakh
    Commented Feb 5, 2014 at 5:34
  • I prefer "for" as well, but if OP is really adamant about replacing it, I think "since" is possibly the least appealing option.
    – hoppergrass
    Commented Feb 5, 2014 at 5:41
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When used in a purely time related context it may not work. Couple of examples:

I hadn't done this since high-school.

"For" doesn't work for this sentence.

I haven't been able to enjoy coffee since I quit smoking.

Acceptable.

I cannot study since there is no electricity.

Perfectly interchangeable.

As you see, it greatly depends on the context but using "for" when applicable will add variety. And it sounds cooler as far as I'm concerned :)

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