depuis v pendant v il y a

I always get confused about when to use depuis, il y a, and pendant when referring to time.
can anyone explain how it all works?

THANK YOU!!!

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Permalink Reply by James H Smith on September 13, 2010 at 10:30am

Depuis is used to talk about something which started in the past and is continuing,
means for or since(a particular date):
J'apprends le français depuis cinq ans.
Ma soeur est en France depuis le 1er mai.

Pendant suggests for or during a period of time in the past or future,
but is often left out.
J'ai logé (pendant) deux semaines dans un hôtel.

Il y a means ago, as in il y a deux jours = two days ago;
but is also the phrase there is... or there are...

Other prepositions of time include:
En suggests within a space of time.
J'ai fait mes devoirs en une heure.
Also used for months, seasons and years:
en février, en hiver, en 1997.

Dans suggests in a certain amount of time from now:
Je viendrai dans dix minutes.

Pour suggests for a pre-planned time period:
Je pars pour quelques jours.

EducatorPermalink Reply by stu harris on September 13, 2010 at 7:08pm

Very good, James, merci.

I believe one additional phrase is depuis que, meaning ever since. Tu es devenu désagréable depuis que tu cesses de fumer = You've been bad-tempered ever since you stopped smoking.

Phrases that end in que often require the subjunctive case in the following verb. I'm not sure if depuis que does.