the city has changed

[ratóncolorao]

Hello again,

Do you think this sentence is correct?:

The city has changed over the last ten years.

Thank you

 

[TheParser]

Hello again,

Do you think this sentence is correct?:

The city has changed over the last ten years.

Thank you

***** NOT A TEACHER*****


Hello, Ratoncolorao:

(1) When I read your title, I thought: Wow! How true (about

my city).

(2) I think that your sentence is perfect. I guess some people

might use the preposition "during." There might be a slight

(or not so slight!!!) difference. Let's see what the teachers

tell us.

(3) Oh, yes, Ratoncolorao, my city has really changed over the

last 40 years -- really!!!


James

 

[ratóncolorao]

***** NOT A TEACHER*****


Hello, Ratoncolorao:

(1) When I read your title, I thought: Wow! How true (about

my city).

(2) I think that your sentence is perfect. I guess some people

might use the preposition "during." There might be a slight

(or not so slight!!!) difference. Let's see what the teachers

tell us.

(3) Oh, yes, Ratoncolorao, my city has really changed over the

last 40 years -- really!!!


James

Hello The Parser,

I REALLY like reading your comments.

Thanks. :-D

By the way, yes, I have also thought about the possibility of using "during".

Let's guess: "during" would refer to "when something happened" whilst "over" would take the whole period as a whole. Something similar to the difference between "for" and "during". I wonder.

Anyway, I can perceive a nuance between the two words, but, I am not certain about it.

 

[TheParser]

Anyway, I can perceive a nuance between the two words, but, I am not certain about it.

Me, neither!!!

 

[crazYgeeK]

About "for" and "during"!

JUST A STUDENT
I am also not sure what the difference between these is, but I have some examples here that I think they can help us partly differentiate the difference:
"for the war" and "during the war"?
"for 2 times" and "during 2 times <= incorrect?", "for May <= incorrect?" and "during May"? ...
Our teachers like commenting on concrete and specific examples so I have given some, could any teacher please comment and give me the correction and of course the explanations and more examples are very helpful to the learners.
Thank you so much!

 

[Mannysteps]

Not a teacher

Could "during the last ten years" mean "as the last ten years went by", thus stressing the progress of time and its effects, and "over the last ten years" to stress the change noticed in the time elapsed?

I'd like your opinion on this added input. You are The Parser.

Regards,

M.

 

[TheParser]

I'd like your opinion on this added input. You are The Parser.


***** NOT A TEACHER *****


(1) Yes, I am The Parser. And I am a very bad parser.

(2) I think that ratoncolorao in post #3 hit the nail on the head.

The famous Professor Quirk in his equally famous A Comprehensive

Grammar of the English Language seems to agree with ratoncolorao.

He says that during usually refers "to a point or period within

duration rather than duration itself."

If I understand that correctly, that means that a sentence such as

"The city has changed during the last 10 years" means that maybe

it changed during the sixth year and since then there has been

stability (no big changes).

(3) Then, as ratoncolorao said, Professor Quirk says that over has

a durational meaning. I think that ratoncolorao explained it better

when saying that it refers to change that covers the whole time period.

The professor says that over "generally refers to a shorter period of time

than through(out)." I guess that some teachers would prefer: "The city

has changed throughout these last 10 years." Then the professor adds:

"Expressions like over the last three years seem to have become

increasingly common."

(4) I think that ratoncolorao's great analysis is just another example of

English learners who understand grammar (and vocabulary) better than many

of us native speakers.


James