No! I don't think so.

Depuis que as I understand it makes reference to a time earlier which is continuing now.

I understand that "depuis" is used with the present tense.

It would be nice to have an expert comment though.

Hope that helps.

Alan

Not an expert, but depuis can be used with other tenses as well:

Elle ne m'a pas téléphoné depuis quelques jours. -- She hasn't called me since several days. 

There's even a lesson on kwiziq: Using Le Passé Composé or Le Présent in negative sentences with ''depuis''

Hi Hugh,

this is a tough question for English speakers. I'll give it a shot.

In the first sentence you are still wearing glasses presently, so it is present tense.

In the second example, we still now each other today, so it is present tense.

In the third example, her life changed at a certain instant in time which lies in the past. Therefore the passé composé.

I hope that helps, -- Chris (not a native speaker).

I understand Chris' answer to this question, i.e I understand why the _second_ clause is in the tense that it is in each example. What I don't understand, is why you would say "Depuis que j'ai quatre ans, je porte des lunettes" instead of "Depuis que j'avais quatre ans, je porte des lunettes". I take it for granted that the speaker is not four years old anymore, so why the present tense in the _first_ clause in this example?

Hi Barbara,

yes, in fact, it can. Here is an example of a nice French idiom:

Depuis que les poules ont des dents. -- Literally: since hen have teeth. In English one would say, "since pigs can fly".

You use the indicative present tense when the action is still ongoing at the moment. In the example above it is implied that hen still have teeth now. You use the passé composé if the action is something that's a thing of the past, like in the following example.

Nous le savons depuis que tu nous l'as dit. -- We know it since you told us.

The action of telling us happened in the past and is not presently ongoing. This asks for the passé composé.

Greetings, -- Chris.

Interestingly one of the examples is actually not in the passé composé, even though the translation is in the past tense. Maybe the phrase "j'ai X ans" is an exception?

Depuis que j'ai quatre ans, je porte des lunettes.

Ever since I was four, I've been wearing glasses.

Hi Jaqui,

I agree that this lesson still lacks an explanation since it only gives three examples with no rule or explanation.

You may want to look here: http://patenotte.name/Aix/Ecriture/Feuilles_aides_pedagogiques/depuis_pendant_il_y_a.htm
I found this page very helpful for this topic.

-- Chris (not a native speaker).