an extensive amount of time

USAGE SUMMARY

"an extensive amount of time" is a grammatically-correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to describe a period of time that is longer than usual, or an amount of time that is larger than expected. For example, "It took me an extensive amount of time to figure out how to solve the problem."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

20 human-written examples

We spent an extensive amount of time with Quinton as far as getting to know him.

The New York Times

We spent an extensive amount of time weighing up the options, looking at returns and ethics of various schemes and found TPP to be the best option".

The Guardian

He vowed to spend an extensive amount of time this week inside the building, where he has temporarily moved his office.

The New York Times

Shortly after the Indianapolis 500 began on Sunday, the car crashed and took an extensive amount of time to fix.

TechCrunch

MedLion has spent an extensive amount of time (and attorney fees) on setting up their practice model to avoid running afoul of California's insurance regulations.

TechCrunch

However, as this was determined to be an exploratory investigation and an extensive amount of time was required for treating each participant, we targeted 20 participants per group.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

40 human-written examples

Owing to an already extensive amount of time spent in hospital care by dialysis patients, the meal tests have been made optional for ESRD patients.

BMJ Open

Part of it has to do with the extensive amount of time Mr. Apted spent filming each couple -- about 50 hours for an individual segment running fewer than 15 minutes -- which helped achieve a certain comfort between the filmmaker and his subjects.

The New York Times

Conway and fellow professor David Wentzlaff both remarked on the extensive amount of time they had to spend in the Broadcast Center working with the staff there to ensure their detailed slides could be read by the global audience, some of them watching lectures not on laptops but on smartphones and other small devices.

Princeton University

The extensive amount of time it took to assemble and disassemble the stage interfered with the development of the schedule for the 2010 Major League Baseball season.

Wikipedia

During contract negotiations, the city and police union agreed to change the appeal hearing process because of the extensive amount of time the hearings take, both in planning and conducting them.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "an extensive amount of time", consider the context and whether a more specific duration could provide clarity. For instance, instead of saying "The project took an extensive amount of time", you could say "The project took three months".

Common error

While acceptable, repeatedly using "an extensive amount of time" can make writing sound repetitive. Vary your phrasing by using synonyms like "a prolonged period" or providing specific timeframes to enhance clarity and conciseness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an extensive amount of time" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause to indicate the duration of an action or state. Ludwig AI validates this usage with numerous examples in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

32%

Science

32%

Academia

11%

Less common in

Wiki

11%

Formal & Business

2%

Encyclopedias

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "an extensive amount of time" is a common phrase used to describe a significant duration or period. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and wide applicability across various fields, including news, science, and academia. While versatile, it's essential to consider the context and potentially replace it with more specific timeframes for improved clarity. Consider alternatives like "a considerable amount of time" or "a significant period of time", especially in formal writing, to avoid repetition and maintain reader engagement. Remember also that repeating the phrase too often can be stylistic issues and make the writing repetitive.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a considerable amount of time

This alternative replaces "extensive" with "considerable", suggesting a notable duration.

a significant period of time

This phrase uses "significant period" instead of "extensive amount", emphasizing the importance of the duration.

a prolonged duration

This alternative uses "prolonged duration", highlighting the extended nature of the time.

a lengthy timeframe

This option replaces "amount of time" with "lengthy timeframe", focusing on the duration.

a substantial length of time

This phrase uses "substantial length" instead of "extensive amount", indicating a considerable duration.

a good deal of time

This alternative is less formal, replacing "extensive amount" with "a good deal".

a long stretch of time

This phrase emphasizes continuity with "long stretch" replacing "extensive amount".

a drawn-out period

This option suggests a tedious or unnecessarily long duration.

a vast duration

This alternative replaces "extensive" with "vast", indicating a very large duration.

all the time in the world

This is an idiomatic expression implying no time constraints.

FAQs

How can I use "an extensive amount of time" in a sentence?

You can use "an extensive amount of time" to describe tasks or processes that require a long duration. For example, "Researching this topic took "an extensive amount of time"".

What are some alternatives to "an extensive amount of time"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives such as "a considerable amount of time", "a significant period of time", or "a prolonged duration".

Is it better to say "extensive time" or "an extensive amount of time"?

"An extensive amount of time" is more common and grammatically complete. While "extensive time" is understandable, it's less idiomatic. Using the full phrase provides better clarity and flow.

What is the difference between "an extensive amount of time" and "a short amount of time"?

"An extensive amount of time" indicates a long duration, while "a short amount of time" implies a brief period. They are antonyms used to describe opposite ends of the temporal spectrum.