He has changed in/over/within the last two years.

[Marika33]

What is the difference between these three (if there's any)? Please, explain it to me.

1. He has changed in the last two years.
2. He has changed over the last two years.
3. He has changed within the last two years.

 

[emsr2d2]

Did you write all three sentences?
Why are they numbered 1, 3, 2?
What do you think the differences might be?

 

[Marika33]

Did you write all three sentences?
What do you think the differences might be?

Yes, I did. I have some ideas, but it's hard for me to explain them because in order to do that one has to know for sure what those words mean.

Why are they numbered 1, 3, 2?

Sorry, that's a typo. I've fixed it now.

 

[Tarheel]

It depends. (See below.)

He has changed. His health is better. Over the last two years he's been eating right and exercising regularly.

 

[Marika33]

It depends. (See below.)

Could you please explain to me how you perceive the difference in this action depending on these three prepositions?

1. He has changed in the last two years.
2. He has changed over the last two years.
3. He has changed within the last two years.

 

[Tarheel]

Could you please explain to me how you perceive the difference in this action depending on these three prepositions?

1. He has changed in the last two years.
2. He has changed over the last two years.
3. He has changed within the last two years.

I would probably use the second one, but since there is no context, it hardly matters, does it?

 

[Marika33]

I would probably use the second one, but since there is no context, it hardly matters, does it?

Thanks! But what kind of context should make me choose one over the other?

 

[Tarheel]

Thanks! But what kind of context should make me choose one over the other?

Offhand, I have no idea, but @jutfrank will probably think of some

 

[jutfrank]

Different prepositions have different meanings, so you can approach this by learning the basic meanings of these three prepositions, and then try to apply those basic meanings to this specific context. However, this is not the right approach to take. If you want to learn the meaning and use of any word, whether it's a preposition or a concrete noun, you should study example sentences that illustrate the meaning as well as possible.

But having said that, and with that very firmly in mind, I'll give a brief explanation:

1. He's changed in the last two years.

The time phrase in the last two years expresses a period of time starting two years ago and leading up to the present time. At some point between the beginning and end of the period, there was a change. The preposition in means 'occurring at a point in time that is located between two other points in time', i.e., the endpoints of the period. What's important to understand is that the change is viewed simply as a single event.

2. He's changed over the last two years.

This is similar but it adds meaning. The time phrase over the last two years expresses a similar period. The preposition over means 'occurring from one endpoint to the other endpoint of the period'. In other words, the change is viewed not as a single event but as a gradual process.

3. He's changed within the last two years.

It's harder to imagine someone saying this. The preposition within is very similar to in in that they both mean 'occurring at a point in time that is located between two other points in time'. What gives within an extra meaning is the emphasis on these limits. In this case, it's like saying sentence 1 but with an added message of: 'Please do not misunderstand me—I want to be clear that the change took place at some point in this period.' You'd have to be a little creative to come up with a context to show someone having a reason to make such an emphasis (though of course, with enough imagination you can).

As I said at the beginning of the post, if you want to understand the meaning of within, you should work with more readily illustrative examples.

 

[Marika33]

2. He's changed over the last two years.

This is similar but it adds meaning. The time phrase over the last two years expresses a similar period. The preposition over means 'occurring from one endpoint to the other endpoint of the period'. In other words, the change is viewed not as a single event but as a gradual process.

Thank you very much! You've described the difference very clearly. This has helped a lot!

One little question, if the change is viewed not as a single event but as a gradual process, shouldn't we be using the present perfect continuous instead of the present perfect simple?

• He's changed over the last two years. (the change is viewed not as a single event but as a gradual process)
• He's been changing over the last two years. (the change is viewed not as a single event but as a gradual process)

 

[jutfrank]

shouldn't we be using the present perfect continuous instead of the present perfect simple?

Well, since the present perfect continuous emphasises the continuous nature of the action, using it would complement the idea that the change is meant as a continuous process, yes.

I must add that I urge learners not to make up their own sentences and then ask what they mean. Let us provide the examples for you to work with.