the past couple decades vs the past couple of decades

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in slightly different contexts. "The past couple decades" is conversational, while "the past couple of decades" is more formal and grammatically correct. The choice between them depends on personal preference.

Explained by Camille
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: November 20, 2024 • 10729 views

This phrase is correct in informal contexts and conversational English.

"the past couple decades"

This phrase is commonly used in spoken English and informal writing to refer to a period of two decades in the past.

Examples:

I've been studying the changes in technology over the past couple decades.
She has seen a lot of changes in the past couple decades.

Show examples from the web [+]
Last updated: November 17, 2024

Jan 26, 2024 ... 78 likes, 3 comments - deep_river_home on January 26, 2024: "For the past couple decades, I dreamed of opening an international office ...
Feb 21, 2022 ... If you had to pick a favorite player from the past couple decades who would it be? For me it's this guy right here - loyal to the team (15 ...
Sep 4, 2023 ... Got a PS5, trying to catch up on the most prominent story games of the past couple decades. Suggestions? I got my PS5 a few months ago to ...
Mar 6, 2020 ... For the past couple decades, half the graduating class in medical schools have been women, yet the majority of leadership positions are ...
Feb 20, 2019 ... Only in the past couple decades have there been more people of color immigrating to Chile, most of whom are coming from Haiti or Venezuela, not ...
Mar 29, 2019 ... I've been pondering proprietary software for the past couple decades. Ever since I discovered Free Software (later rebranded by some as ...
Sep 6, 2020 ... Our environment in Nashville has changed dramatically over the past couple decades. What changes have you noticed in your lifetime? All ...
Jul 1, 2024 ... ... the past couple decades to mobilize God's people for world missions. 1. What were the circumstances surrounding your decision to undertake ...
Sep 4, 2024 ... It is difficult to explain, difficult to measure, and, as the past couple decades show, difficult to improve. We know that productivity must ...

Alternatives:

the last couple decades
the past few decades

This phrase is more formal and grammatically correct.

"the past couple of decades"

This phrase is used in more formal writing and contexts where grammatical accuracy is important. It refers to a period of two decades in the past.

Examples:

The economic growth of the country has been steady over the past couple of decades.
The changes in technology over the past couple of decades have been remarkable.

Show examples from the web [+]
Last updated: November 17, 2024

Feb 28, 2019 ... It is interesting that after all the swings in the exchange rate and exchange rate regimes of the past couple of decades, at the end of 2017 the ...
Jun 8, 2015 ... Hoffman and Weise sat down recently to talk about both books, and how much gay sexual culture has changed over the past couple of decades. What ...
Sep 15, 2021 ... The U.S. labor force growth rate has slowed over the past couple of decades – and what growth has occurred is largely due to the increasing ...
Aug 16, 2022 ... Over the past couple of decades I've played on dozens of other people's records. Some great, most good, some a lil cringe. Making stuff up ...
Jun 19, 2024 ... Over the past couple of decades, we've experienced events that created a so-called “new normal”: 9/11, the Great Recession, and COVID-19 are ...
Feb 25, 2015 ... Has American English borrowed many loanwords in the past couple of decades? If so, which donor languages do these words most commonly come from?
Jun 21, 2024 ... But in the past couple of decades it's become possible to expect a crop almost every year. When the trees are doing well, it's necessary to ...
Jul 30, 2018 ... In the past couple of decades has there been an influx of dog obsession and people pandering over their pet dogs as if they are people? All ...
... the past couple of decades, in which I noted how the depth, richness, color and control of his voice has only improved over the years and decades. So ...

Alternatives:

the last couple of decades
the past few decades

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the past couple decades vs the past couple of decades

"the past couple decades"

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