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Lengths of Time and Points in Time

Basics
Something happens for a length of time:

I have been in London for three days.
I lived in Spain for two years.
I will be working for another hour.

Something happens since a point in time:

I have been in London since Monday.

To describe a length of time leading up to the present, we use 'I have been' not 'I am':

Error	Error	Correct form
**I am in London since three days.	**I am in London for three days.	I have been in London for three days.

The form I am in London for three days. does exist. It means 'I am now in London and my visit will last for three days.' It refers to a length of time of three days which has started but not finished.

I am in London for three days more. or I am in London for another three days. means that I am now in London and that I will leave three days from now. We can also use I will be in London for another three days. for this.

If I am in the middle of a trip to London, I might say I have been in London for two days and I am here for three days more.

Other forms
Ago converts a length of time leading up to the present into a point in time: three days ago is a point in time three days before the present.

Error	Correct form
**I have been in London since three days.	I have been in London since three days ago.
(Since with a length of time is wrong.)	(Since with a point in time is correct.)

But for a length of time leading up to a past time or a future time, it would be more usual to say before:

I had seen him three days before.
I will have finished three days before.

To say when something starts, we can use from. To say when something ends we can say to or until (shortened to 'til or till).

I will be in London from Monday to Thursday.
I will be working until seven.

Detail
With non-perfect verb forms like the simple tenses and the imperfect, this means the length of time from the start to the end of a condition. The examples below mean that the time from starting to work to ending work is two years.

Meaning	Correct form, uncontracted	Correct form, contracted
Completed event in the past: I started working there in the past. I finished working there in the past.	I worked there for two years.	No contraction.
	I was working there for two years.	No contraction.
Event in the present, started but not completed: I started working there in the past. I will finish working there in the future.	I am working there for two years.	I'm working there for two years.
	(We could not say I work there for two years. for a future event, but not a present event.)
Event in the future, not started: I will start working there in the future. I will finish working there in the future.	I work there for two years.	No contraction.
	I am working there for two years.	I'm working there for two years.
	I will work there for two years.	I'll work there for two years.
	I will be working there for two years.	I'll be working there for two years.

With perfect verb forms, for means that a condition is still going on at the reference time. The examples below mean that I worked from two years before the reference time and I am still working there at the reference time.

Meaning	Correct form, uncontracted	Correct form, contracted
Past reference time: I had started working there two years before, and I was still working there.	I had been working there for two years.	I'd been working there for two years.
Present reference time: I started working there two years ago, and I am still working there.	I have been working there for two years.	I've been working there for two years.
Future reference time: I will have started working there two years before, and I will still be working there.	I will have been working there for two years.	I'll have been working there for two years.

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