during certain years

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "during certain years" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to specific time periods within a range of years when discussing events, trends, or changes. Example: "The economy showed significant growth during certain years, particularly in the late 1990s."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

A ban on importing blood from Europe and on accepting blood from Americans living in certain European countries during certain years as mad cow spread shrank the supply.

The New York Times - Health

From the written logs kept, we can get an idea of the types, numbers and valuation of goods traded during certain years in this region.

Smart Learning Environments

As a result, technology may skew GDP upward during certain years, which in turn may make the relative national debt level look acceptable, when in fact it is not.

Forbes

An obvious explanation for this is the knowledge from the VIP that some of the primary health care units during certain years, due to work overload, were not able to offer all eligible subjects their health examination.

Global Health Action

Hence, although many earlier eel studies clearly suffered from one or several from these shortcomings, the emergence of a subtle but transient genetic structure in European eel points to the possibility of real biologic differentiation only picked up during certain years and under specific conditions.

Evolutionary Applications

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

The school has been told to improve pupils' reading during certain year groups, implement a literacy policy "as a matter of urgency" and accelerate the rate of students' progress in lessons.

BBC

There have been some surveys of T-2 and HT-2 toxins in oats harvested in Germany, Austria, Norway, Finland and Sweden in certain years during the period 1987–2001 (Hietaniemi and Kumpulainen 1991; Müller et al. 1998; Langseth and Rundberget 1999; Canady et al. 2001; SCOOP 2003; Hietaniemi et al. 2004; Schollenberger et al. 2006).

Food Additives and Contaminants: Part B Surveillance

They would reveal whether money was made in countries unpopular with some voters and facts of interest to competitors, who might discover that the company's profits had sagged in, say, Britain during a certain year while soaring in Japan.

The New York Times

Second, the data have been linked to tax records to determine whether or not individuals are employed (at some point) during a certain year.

IZA Journal of Labor Policy

For the national evaluation, the age at screening and of breast cancer incidence is defined by birth year; that is, during a certain year, the woman is considered to keep the age she had on January 1 of the same year.

British Journal of Cancer

To obtain this kind of information, an incidence-based approach is more appropriate, identifying what future lifetime costs would be avoided if all new overweight cases would be eliminated during a certain year.

European Journal of Health Economics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "during certain years", ensure the context makes it clear which years are being referred to, even if they aren't explicitly listed. For example, "Plant growth was significantly higher during certain years when rainfall exceeded the average."

Common error

Avoid using "during certain years" without providing any context or clues about the specific years in question. This can make your writing unclear and frustrating for the reader. Always ensure the reader has a way to understand which years you're referencing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "during certain years" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb or clause by specifying the time frame in which an action or event occurred. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

40%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "during certain years" is a grammatically sound and useful way to indicate that an event or condition was true only during specific periods, but not continuously. As Ludwig AI indicates, it is correct and applicable in various writing contexts. While it appears across a wide array of sources, it's most frequently seen in Science and News & Media publications. When using this phrase, ensure that the context makes it reasonably clear which years you're referencing, either explicitly or implicitly, to avoid vagueness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in particular years

Replaces 'certain' with 'particular', emphasizing specific years rather than a general period.

in specific years

Substitutes 'certain' with 'specific', highlighting precise years.

over selected years

Replaces 'during' with 'over' and 'certain' with 'selected', implying a choice or focus on particular years.

during specified years

Replaces 'certain' with 'specified', suggesting a pre-defined set of years.

throughout some years

Uses 'throughout' and 'some' to indicate a period encompassing multiple years, but not necessarily all.

in designated years

Replaces 'certain' with 'designated', suggesting a formal or official selection of years.

in given years

Offers a slightly more concise alternative, implying that the years are already known or specified.

during identified years

Replaces 'certain' with 'identified', emphasizing that the years have been recognized for a particular reason.

across defined years

Replaces 'during' with 'across' and 'certain' with 'defined', implying that the years are explicitly set.

within limited years

Replaces 'certain' with 'limited', suggesting that the years are restricted or constrained in some way.

FAQs

How can I use "during certain years" in a sentence?

You can use "during certain years" to specify periods within a larger timeframe. For example, "The company experienced rapid growth "during certain years" in the late 1990s".

What can I say instead of "during certain years"?

Alternatives include phrases like "in particular years", "in specific years", or "over selected years", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to specify the exact years instead of using "during certain years"?

Specifying the exact years is often preferable for clarity, but "during certain years" can be useful when the specific years are less important than the trend observed, or when listing all the years would be cumbersome.

What's the difference between "during certain years" and "in recent years"?

"During certain years" refers to specific, though perhaps unlisted, years within a longer timeframe. "In recent years" refers to the years immediately preceding the present.