a substantial span of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a substantial span of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a significant duration or extent of time, distance, or other measurable quantities. Example: "The project required a substantial span of time to complete, stretching over several months."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

The capstone experiment asks readers to abstain from using selected devices for a substantial span of time, and then to pay close attention to how things go.

The New Yorker

The changes in total fruit and low GI fruit intake ranged from −3.7 to 3.2 servings per day and −3.1 to 2.7 servings per day, respectively, a substantial span of approximately six servings of low GI fruit per day.

Diabetologia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Even a 10-minute Chopin ballade for piano, let alone Messiaen's 75-minute "Turangalila Symphony," tries to grapple with, activate and organize a relatively substantial span of time.

The New York Times - Arts

The high-yielding straw samples released approximately double the amount of total sugar in comparison to the low-yielding samples, indicating a substantial span in bioethanol potential.

Biotechnology for Biofuels

Over the nine years of its existence, which is a substantial life span for an independent production company in the modern television industry, Ardent Productions has acquired a uniquely unfortunate reputation.

The Guardian

The problem was that its substantial span felt shapeless.

The Guardian - Music

Many problems in science and engineering involve significant physical entities and processes that span a substantial range of dimensions.

Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer

The substantial time span of this diagnostic record affords an interesting insight into the profile of upper gastrointestinal disease in Zambia over the last 4 decades, with evidence of important trends.

BMC Gastroenterology

In a lifetime that spanned a substantial portion of the history of jazz, Wilson's combination of articulate composition skills with a far-reaching creative vision carried him successfully through each of the music's successive new evolutions.

Los Angeles Times

While constructing libraries from these very small samples, we encountered a significant flaw in the TS-PCR method as originally described [ 12]: a substantial quantity of cDNA spanning a size range that might be expected to represent a typical biological sample is synthesized in the absence of any starting RNA.

BMC Genomics

The scaffold contained four genomic contigs spanning a substantial part of the equine OAS1 gene, including 4.5 kb of promoter sequence upstream of exon 1 and 1.6 kb of sequence downstream of exon 6, and was submitted to GenBank under accession number DQ536887.

BMC Genomics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a substantial span of", ensure the noun it modifies is quantifiable, such as time, distance, or range. For instance, "a substantial span of time" is correct, while "a substantial span of happiness" is not.

Common error

Avoid using "a substantial span of" with abstract or non-measurable nouns. Stick to concrete and quantifiable nouns to maintain clarity and grammatical correctness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a substantial span of" functions as an adjectival modifier, qualifying a noun to indicate a considerable or significant duration, extent, or range. It is used to emphasize the magnitude or importance of the span being described, as seen in the Ludwig examples.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a substantial span of" is a grammatically correct phrase used to describe a significant duration, extent, or range. As Ludwig AI notes, it functions as an adjectival modifier and is suitable for both formal and neutral contexts, predominantly appearing in Science and News & Media. While not extremely common, it's a valuable phrase for emphasizing the magnitude or importance of the "span" being discussed. Remember to use it with quantifiable nouns, avoiding abstract concepts to maintain clarity. Alternatives include "a considerable period of" and "a significant stretch of", offering similar meanings with slight variations in emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a substantial length of time

Synonymous alternative using "length" instead of "span".

a considerable period of

Focuses on the length of time, suggesting a notable duration.

a significant stretch of

Emphasizes the continuous nature of the time or distance.

an extensive duration of

Highlights the comprehensive and prolonged nature of the period.

a lengthy interval of

Underscores the long period between two points in time.

a sizable segment of

Indicates a notable portion or fragment of time or distance.

a prolonged timeframe of

Stresses the extended and continuous nature of the time period.

a noteworthy extent of

Highlights the importance and size of the duration or distance.

a remarkable measure of

Emphasizes the unusual or exceptional quantity of time or space.

a considerable amount of time

Directly specifies time and its significance.

FAQs

How can I use "a substantial span of" in a sentence?

Use "a substantial span of" to describe a significant duration or extent of something measurable, such as "The project took "a substantial span of time" to complete".

What are some alternatives to "a substantial span of"?

You can use alternatives like "a considerable period of", "a significant stretch of", or "an extensive duration of depending on the context".

Is it correct to say "a substantial span for happiness"?

No, it's generally not correct. "A substantial span of" is best used with quantifiable nouns like time or distance. It's better to use something like "a great deal of happiness" instead.

What's the difference between "a substantial span of time" and "a short period of time"?

"A substantial span of time" indicates a significant or considerable duration, whereas "a short period of time" indicates a brief duration. The key difference lies in the perceived length of the timeframe.