Collins Cobuild English Grammar (99 page)

     In American English, and in informal British English, you can use the plural forms of specific time words without
on
.

She only works
Wednesdays
and
Fridays
.
Thursday mornings
I volunteer at the local senior center.
His radio program broadcasts
Friday nights
at nine.

In
is used with periods of the day, except
night
.

I can’t work full time. I only work
in the afternoons
, I have lectures
in the mornings
.
Harry Truman loved to sit in an old rocking chair
in the evenings
and face the lawns behind the White House.

development and regular occurrence

4.122
  To show that something develops gradually, or happens at regular intervals, you can use a general time word with
by
followed by the same general time word.

She was getting older
year by year
, and lonelier, and more ridiculous.
Millions of citizens follow,
day by day
, the unfolding of the drama.

Gradual development can also be indicated by the adverbs
increasingly
and
progressively
.

…the computers and information banks on which our world will
increasingly
depend.
His conduct became
increasingly
eccentric.
As disposable income rises, people become
progressively
less concerned with price.

Talking about how long something lasts

4.123
  The following section explains ways of showing how long something lasts or takes.

Some adverbs and adverbial expressions are used to show how long an event or state lasts. Here is a list of adverbs that are used to show duration:

always

briefly

forever

indefinitely

long

overnight

permanently

temporarily

She glanced
briefly
at Lucas Simmonds.
You won’t live
forever
.
The gates are kept
permanently
closed.

Briefly
and
permanently
can be used in the comparative.

This new revelation had much the same outward effect, though
more briefly
.
This is something I would like to do
more permanently
.

The form
long
is only used as an adverb in negatives and questions.

I haven’t been in England
long
.
How
long
does it take on the train?

In affirmative clauses, it is used in expressions such as
a long time
and prepositional phrases such as
for a long time
. However, the comparative and superlative forms
longer
and
longest
can be used in affirmative and negative clauses.

Then of course you’ll go with Parry. She’s been your friend
longer
.
I’ve been thinking about it a lot
longer
than you.
She remained
the longest
.

In affirmative and negative
if
-clauses, you can use
for long
.

If she’s away
for long
we won’t be able to wait.

prepositional phrases

4.124
  However, prepositional phrases are more commonly used. The following prepositions are used in adverbials of duration:

after

before

for

from

in

since

throughout

to

until

The prepositional object can be a noun phrase referring to a specific period of time. This can be in the singular after the determiner
a
(or
one
for emphasis), or in the plural after a number or quantity expression.

The noun phrase can also refer to an indefinite period, for example expressions such as
a long time
,
a short while
,
a while
, or
ages
, or plural time words such as
hours
.

for
for length of time

4.125
  The preposition
for
indicates how long something continues to happen.

Is he still thinking of going away to Italy
for a month
?
The initial battle continued
for an hour
.
This precious happy time lasted
for a month or two
.
For the next week
, she did not contact him.
We were married
for fifteen years
.
I didn’t speak
for a long time
.
She would have liked to sit
for a while
and think.

You use
the
instead of
a
when the period of time is already known, with seasons, periods of the day, and
weekend
, or when you modify the time word with words like
past
,
coming
,
following
,
next
,
last
, or an
ordinal
.

Tell Aunt Elizabeth you’re off
for the day
.
We’ve been living together
for the past year
.
For the first month or two
I was bullied constantly.
For the next few days
he had to stay in bed.
Put them in cold storage
for the winter
.
I said I’m off to Brighton
for the weekend
.

Remember that you do not use a determiner with special periods of the year.

At least come
for Christmas
.

4.126
  
For
can also be used with specific time adverbials to show the time when something is to be used, not how long it takes or lasts.

Everything was placed exactly where I wanted it
for the morning
.

4.127
  
For
can also be used in negative statements when you want to say that something need not or will not happen until a certain period of time has passed.
Yet
is often added.

It won’t be ready to sail
for another three weeks
.
I don’t have to decide
for a month yet
.

for
for emphasis

4.128
  
For
is used with a plural noun phrase to emphasize how long something lasts.

Settlers have been coming here
for centuries
.
I don’t think he’s practised much
for years
.
I’ve been asking you about these doors
for months
.

USAGE NOTE

4.129
  You can also use a general time word with
after
followed by the same general time word to emphasize that a state continues for a long time or that an action is repeated continuously for a long time.

I wondered what kept her in Paris
decade after decade
.
They can go on making losses,
year after year
, without fearing that they will go bust.

in
and
within
for end of a period

4.130
  
In
is used to indicate that something happens or will happen before the end of a certain period of time. In more formal English
within
is used.

Can we get to the airport
in an hour
?
That coat must have cost you more than I earn
in a year
.
The face of a city can change completely
in a year
.
They should get the job finished
within a few days
.

4.131
  
In
and
within
are also used to show that something only took or takes a short time.

The clouds evaporated
in seconds
.
What an expert can do
in minutes
may take you hours to accomplish.
Within a few months
, the barnyard had been abandoned.

for
and
in
with general or specific time

4.132
  
For
and
in
can be used in negative statements to say that something does not happen during a period of time. You can use them in this way with specific units of time, and with more general time references.