over a few years vs during a few years

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'Over a few years' is used to indicate a period of time that extends beyond a few years, while 'during a few years' is used to specify a time frame within a few years.

Last updated: March 30, 2024 • 926 views

over a few years

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate a period of time that extends beyond a few years.

This phrase is used to describe events or changes that happen continuously or gradually throughout a period of more than a few years.

Examples:

The company grew steadily over a few years.
She saved up enough money to travel the world over a few years.
The project evolved over a few years of development.
Their relationship deepened over a few years of friendship.
The city transformed over a few years of urban planning.

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If you are going to open up the possibility to maybe multiple conjunctions of planets with stars, then you can finally have a phenomenon, or rather a series of phenomena, that stretch out over a few years' time.
Hold you over for a few years.
Jesus and Moses, they put it together over lunch a few years back now, I think it was.
As a result, the national money and bond markets in particular developed very quickly over a period of a few years.
Usually an Environmental Monitoring Programme has a long term perspective over at least a few years.
I've added a few over the years.
Our manufacturing base was destroyed, literally over the course of a few years.
I know that the problems cannot be solved over the space of a few years.
I feel that, over a period of a few years, we have all been able to gauge the progress made in this area and to emphasise that the initial choices which we made were valid ones.
And I bet they've had a few over the past few years.
Mining is concentrated in only a few regions which will have to completely restructure their economies over the next few years.
I understand Daniel got into a few scrapes over the last few years.
Meanwhile, Dr Dean Deville and his wife and business partner Dana have gained quite a few pounds over the last few years.
Mr President, over the last few years scientific progress has transformed human organ transplants into a routine medical procedure with over a 99% success rate in western Europe.
Over the last few years, actually more than a few, Ethiopia has been growing much more rapidly.
Because if we've learned anything over these few years It's that you really can't do it without me.
Because if we've learned anything over these few years, it's that you really can't do without me.
Furthermore, the number of people succumbing to these illnesses is likely to continue to rise over the next few years, as this product was still being used up until a few years ago.
On its own, it barely indicates what activities the Commission intends to fund over the next few years.
Pay rises over the last few years have been very modest.

Alternatives:

over the course of a few years
throughout a few years
across a few years

during a few years

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to specify a time frame within a few years.

This phrase is used to indicate events or actions that occur within a specific period of a few years.