decades for this

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "decades for this" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to express a long duration of time spent on something, but it lacks clarity and context. Example: "It took decades for this project to come to fruition, but the results were worth the wait."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

30 human-written examples

Fans have been waiting three decades for this.

Independent

But really they have been waiting almost five decades for this.

Independent

It has taken two decades for this relationship to become the norm among the big green organisations.

Independent

"But, of course, it is going to take decades for this technology to really come to fruition".

The New York Times - Tech

It took several decades for this to change the nature of immigration to Britain (and has now led to tighter controls on immigration from outside the EU).

The Guardian - Opinion

"We've been waiting for decades for this kind of thing to happen," said Dr. Wechsler, a former health scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

30 human-written examples

Paleontologists have searched for decades for the fossils that chronicle this transition to the earliest animals.

The New York Times - Science

Many had waited a decade for this.

The Guardian

It has taken a decade for this Broadway musical to reach Britain.

The Guardian

No, you don't find it by the time you graduate; the 20s are a decade for this.

Princeton University

We want a golden relationship with China that will help foster a golden decade for this country.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "decades for this" in your writing. Instead, rephrase your sentence to use a more grammatically correct and clear expression such as "it took decades for this to happen" or "we have waited decades for this".

Common error

The phrase "decades for this" is often used when the writer is trying to express that something took a long time to achieve or develop. However, the phrasing is incomplete and ungrammatical. Always ensure you have a subject and verb to clearly convey your intended meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase is not grammatically functional in its current form. It cannot act as a subject, verb, object, or any other standard sentence component without being part of a larger, well-structured sentence. As Ludwig AI explains, the phrase is incomplete and lacks clarity.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "decades for this" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in formal writing. Ludwig AI points out that this phrase lacks clarity and needs to be part of a larger, well-structured sentence. While its intended purpose is to express that something took a long time, its ungrammatical nature makes it ineffective. It's crucial to use proper grammatical structures to convey the intended meaning clearly. Using alternatives like "it took decades for this to happen" or "we waited decades for this" ensures clarity and grammatical correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

decades for it

Replaces "this" with "it", maintaining the pronoun reference while still sounding unnatural.

waited decades for this

Indicates a period of waiting, adding an explicit subject performing the action.

decades to achieve this

Focuses on the duration required to accomplish something specific.

decades for this to happen

Specifies an event that takes a long time to occur.

decades for this to develop

Highlights the gradual process of development over a lengthy duration.

decades for this problem to be solved

Emphasizes the extended period required to resolve an issue.

took decades for this to become reality

Highlights a long duration until something becomes real.

this took decades to achieve

Inverts the focus to the accomplishment rather than the duration.

decades were needed for this

Highlights the necessity of a long duration.

this required decades of work

Emphasizes the amount of effort done over an extended period.

FAQs

How can I correctly use the word "decades" in a sentence?

Instead of using the ungrammatical phrase "decades for this", try using phrases like "it took "decades to achieve this"" or "we waited "decades for this" to happen". Ensure your sentence has a clear subject and verb.

What's a better way to say something required a lot of time, instead of "decades for this"?

You could say "it required "years of effort"", "it took "a considerable amount of time"", or "it was a "long-term process"". These are all grammatically sound and convey the idea of a lengthy duration.

Is "decades for this" grammatically correct?

No, the phrase "decades for this" is not grammatically correct. It's an incomplete thought and needs to be part of a complete sentence with a subject and verb to make sense.

What's the difference between saying "decades for this" and "it took decades for this to happen"?

"Decades for this" is an incomplete phrase lacking grammatical structure. "It took "decades for this to happen"" is a complete sentence that clearly expresses the time required for something to occur. Therefore, the second option is correct.