across 2 hours

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "across 2 hours" is not standard in written English and may cause confusion.
It can be used to indicate a duration or span of time, but it is more common to use "over" or "during" in this context. Example: "The event will take place across 2 hours, starting at 3 PM."

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

And the pace of the show, stretching across 2 hours 15 minutes, including intermission, rarely flags.

The New York Times - Arts

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The agency said 14 separate groups of workers were working across 24 hours a day to fix the fault.

The Guardian - Sport

Junior aides work shifts across 24 hours, scouring news outlets for tidbits with the potential to embarrass Mr. Obama through circulation to bloggers, the Drudge Report, cable news and newspapers.

The New York Times

In two memorable games across 24 hours in September, Oakland shortstop Miguel Tejada strolled to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning, wiggled his bat as he always does and delivered a decisive hit.

The New York Times - Sports

In a spellbinding frenzy of baseball at its unpredictable, unforgiving best, a labyrinth of twists took place across 4 hours 55 minutes at ballparks in Atlanta, Baltimore, St . Petersburg Fla., and Houston.

The New York Times - Sports

Maintaining a single central narrative across 24 hours required the invention of subplots that became famous for their implausibility — Jack's daughter, Kim Bauer, versus the cougar in Season 2 has been matched by Dana Walsh Ms. Sackhofff) versus her old boyfriend from her criminal past in the current season.

The New York Times - Arts

Token prices themselves can be tracked across 24 hours, seven days or 30 days.

TechCrunch

The problem, he said, is that the online ad process has become increasingly complex, involving a number of different systems that don't share data, meaning it can take a publisher 43 manual steps across 72 hours to execute a sales order.

TechCrunch

Caffeine administered to sensitized rats in the absence of ethanol had no effect on thresholds across 4 hours (p = 0.775).

Plosone

The present results differ from our prior study [24] which did not find that driving impairment increased across 10 hours but daytime driving obviously differs from night time driving.

Plosone

There is currently a paucity of data concerning how (or if) the glucose-lowering profile across 24 hours changes with repeated once- or twice-daily dosing.

Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a time duration, prefer using prepositions like "over" or "during" instead of "across" for clarity and better readability.

Common error

Avoid using "across" to indicate duration. While understandable, it's less conventional than alternatives and may sound awkward. Opt for "during" or "over" to specify the timeframe more effectively.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "across 2 hours" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb, indicating the duration over which an action or event occurs. Ludwig indicates that this phrase is not standard and may cause confusion.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "across 2 hours" is used to denote a duration of time, but Ludwig suggests it's not as common or clear as alternatives like "over 2 hours" or "during 2 hours". While grammatically acceptable, its usage is relatively rare, primarily appearing in news and scientific contexts. For clearer and more conventional writing, favoring "during" or "over" is advisable. The phrase's function is to specify the temporal extent of an event, but its effectiveness is limited by its uncommon usage. As Ludwig AI points out, this non-standard phrasing can potentially lead to confusion, making alternative expressions more suitable in most contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Over a period of 2 hours

This alternative clearly specifies the duration and uses a more common preposition.

During 2 hours

This focuses on the events happening within the specified time frame.

Within a 2-hour timeframe

It highlights that something is happening inside of the two hours. Timeframe suggests a clearly defined duration.

Spanning 2 hours

Implies that something extends or continues throughout the 2-hour duration.

For a duration of 2 hours

Clearly states the length of time involved.

In the space of 2 hours

Highlights the completion of something within the specified time.

Throughout 2 hours

Indicates that an activity or condition persists for the entire duration.

Lasting 2 hours

Focuses on the length of an event or activity.

Extending over 2 hours

Emphasizes the continuous nature of something over the given time.

Encompassing 2 hours

Suggests that the time period includes or contains something.

FAQs

How can I use "across" correctly when referring to time?

While "across" isn't the most common choice, it can be used to denote simultaneity or distribution within a time frame. However, using alternatives like "during" or "over" is generally clearer. For example, "activities scheduled "throughout the day"" might be preferred over "activities scheduled across the day".

What's a better way to say "across 2 hours"?

More common alternatives to "across 2 hours" include "over 2 hours" or "during 2 hours". These options are more widely accepted and understood when specifying a duration.

Is "across 2 hours" grammatically incorrect?

While not strictly incorrect, "across 2 hours" is less conventional and can sound awkward to some native English speakers. It's better described as less preferred or stylistically unusual compared to alternatives like "during 2 hours" or "over 2 hours".

What's the difference between "across 2 hours" and "during 2 hours"?

"During 2 hours" clearly indicates that something happens within that timeframe. "Across 2 hours" can imply a distribution or range, but it's less direct and common than /s/during+2+hours. Therefore, "during" is often a better choice for specifying time.