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A. "I have been here for about 10 minutes"= "I have been here about 10 minutes".
B. "I am here for about 10 minutes"= "I am here about 10 minutes".

I believe we can say A" and "B" with or without "for" and using "for" is not compulsory. Am i right

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    Note that "I am here [for] about ten minutes" is not idiomatic unless you mean "I am scheduled to stay here for only ten minutes".
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Mar 13, 2022 at 15:00

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The short answer is - yes you are right. The use of "for" makes no difference to the meaning of the sentences and is only a matter of personal preference. As far as I know the answer applies both for British and American English.

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  • thank you and how about "I will be there with you about 10 minutes",Instead of "I will be there with you in about 10 minutes"? Is the use of "in" also a personal preference here as well (as in adding or excluding "in",)with no difference to the meaning of a sentence?
    – Bilal Zafar
    Commented Mar 13, 2022 at 14:33
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    No, in this case they mean different things. I will be there with you about 10 minutes means I will spend about 10 minutes with you there [at some meeting place]. Whilst I will be there with you in about 10 minutes means Expect me to arrive there in about 10 minutes. In this case "in" is most definitely necessary and changes the whole meaning if the sentence.
    – Peter Jennings
    Commented Mar 13, 2022 at 15:00
  • Cheerio. As you told me that "I will be there with you about 10 minutes" means "I will spend about 10 minutes with you there". Then using only "about 10 minutes" in this given example could mean "for about 10 minutes". Am i right?
    – Bilal Zafar
    Commented Mar 13, 2022 at 15:44
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    Yes "about 10 minutes" is usually taken to mean "for about 10 minutes" when used without the word "in".
    – Peter Jennings
    Commented Mar 13, 2022 at 15:57
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    We say the 1990s. It's more usual to use about and around with a single year rather than a whole decade,, but, yes, they are equivalent in meaning.
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Mar 13, 2022 at 20:01
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Yes, you are right.

I think you mean - 'I have been here for about 10 minutes'= It is about 10 minutes since I came here./I have been staying here for about 10 minutes (10 minutes has passed)

'I am here for about 10 minutes'= I am going to stay here for about 10 minutes./I am supposed to stay here for about 10 minutes. (10 minutes from now on)

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