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Page 423 of Collins Usage Guide reads,

To say how long something has been the case, use for:

  • (1) We've been married for seven years.

To mention how long something has been happening, use during/over:

  • (2) A considerable amount of rain has fallen during the past two years.
  • (3) Things have become noticeably worse over the past two or three months

What's this difference due to? different type of verbs?

Edwin Ashworth
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GJC
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1 Answers1

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The difference is the aspectual character of the situation.

In the first, there is a steady state of being married, hence for.

In the second two examples there is a progressive change becoming worse (presumably continuously in small increments) totaling up to a noticeable change, and instances of amounts of rain falling totaling up to a considerable amount in a certain timeframe, hence during or over.

It's the interpretation of the situation that determines the choice of preposition.

We could use the same verbs and switch the prepositions.

We've been married three times over the past seven years.

Things have become noticeably worse for the past two or three months.

A considerable amount of rain has fallen for the past two years.

The steady state in the last sentence being a considerable amount of rain falling every year for the past two years.

DW256
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  • Isn't the key here that for both examples the author is using the present perfect? – GJC Apr 23 '21 at 09:24
  • Fumblefingers doesn't agree with you https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/282473/perfect-tense-for-vs-perfect-tense-over-during – GJC Jun 27 '21 at 11:43
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    I see no conflict between that comment and this answer. Both pointed out that we may switch one preposition for another in certain situations. I also agree that in certain situations the interpretation will be similar regardless of which preposition is used. Where this answer goes one step further is pointing out that the aspectual interpretation of certain situations can be affected by the choice of preposition, and certain situations disallow one or more choice(s) of preposition due to the way in which the situation is understood to develop over time. – DW256 Jun 27 '21 at 12:03
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    Yes, I'd say analysis has to focus on the aspectual. (1) (being married) is durative over the 7-year period. (2) is difficult. I'd say it's summative, though almost certainly the events involved were iterative. It's not a progressive change that is highlighted (though a cumulative bar chart of fallen rain would do so), rather a final announcement of the 2 years' precipitation total. (3) certainly speaks directly of a gradual transformation. I'd say 'during' and 'over' can be swapped here, but the Collins' analysis needs refining. 'Over the exam, my pen broke' doesn't work, for instance. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 27 '21 at 16:45
  • @EdwinAshworth Over the course of the exam, it broke ? – GJC Jun 27 '21 at 16:56
  • @GJC 'Over the course of' is not 'over', but a fixed expression with not necessarily (in fact, obviously not) the same grammatical requirements. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 27 '21 at 17:00
  • @EdwinAshworth Also variants such as in/during the course of: These phrases have been criticized as needlessly wordy ( in or during alone are adequate), but they have an emphatic rhythm that keeps them alive – GJC Jun 27 '21 at 17:04