during last july

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "during last July" is not correct in standard written English.
It should be "during last July" or "in July of last year" depending on the context. Example: "We went on vacation during last July and had a wonderful time at the beach."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

An early sign of this impatience came during last July's student demonstrations in Tehran.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

More violence took place during last October's session.

The Economist

Mrs Dresch lost everything during last October's hurricane.

The Economist

They, David Boudia (10-meter) and Christina Loukas (3-meter) had won spots during last month's trials.

The New York Times

Even during last month's meeting, shareholders were uncertain about what entity actually owned the field.

The New York Times

These important snow-clearing machines were used very effectively during last month's 15-inch blizzard.

The New York Times

Strangely, the striker from Senegal failed a medical at Stoke during last month's transfer window.

The Guardian - Sport

"It is not the one we necessarily encourage," he explained during last October's MQT.

The Guardian

One morning during last October's session, there was an unusual sight: a bottle of buttermilk.

The New York Times

The bricks came down during last month's Storm Doris.

BBC

The helicopter came down on marshes that were badly flooded during last month's tidal surge.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer using "in july last year" or simply "last july" for clarity and grammatical correctness. Avoid using "during" in this context as it sounds unnatural.

Common error

Avoid pairing "during" with precise months or years. "During" is better suited for broader time periods like "during the summer" or "during the project".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "during last july" functions as a prepositional phrase attempting to specify a timeframe. However, it's grammatically awkward and doesn't conform to standard English usage. Ludwig confirms this with its analysis of correct alternatives.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Academia

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "during last july" is grammatically incorrect and not recommended for use. Ludwig suggests that more appropriate alternatives include "in july last year" or simply "last july". While the phrase attempts to provide a temporal context, its awkward structure undermines clarity. It's best to opt for the suggested alternatives to ensure grammatical correctness and natural sounding language. Ludwig AI highlights the grammatical issue and supports the recommendation to use alternative phrasings for better clarity and accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

In july last year

Rephrases using "in" to specify the month and "last year" to denote the past.

Last july

Omits "during" for a more direct and grammatically correct reference.

Throughout july last year

Adds "throughout" to emphasize the duration over the entire month.

In the month of july last year

A more formal and elaborate way of specifying the time frame.

During july of last year

Similar to the original, but corrected with the appropriate prepositional usage.

That july

Uses 'that' to reference a specific july already known or discussed.

The previous july

Emphasizes that the july being discussed is the one immediately before the current time.

July of the past year

A slightly more verbose construction indicating the july of the immediately preceding year.

Back in july last year

Adds a sense of reminiscing or recalling a past event during that time.

Within july last year

Focuses on events or conditions that were contained within the time frame of july.

FAQs

What is the correct way to refer to an event in july of the previous year?

The correct and most natural ways are to say "in july last year" or simply "last july".

Is it grammatically correct to say "during last july"?

No, it is not grammatically correct. It's more appropriate to use "in july last year" or "last july" instead.

What can I say instead of "during last july" to sound more natural?

To sound more natural, replace it with "in july last year", "last july", or "throughout july last year" depending on the intended emphasis.

What's the difference between saying "during july of last year" and "in july last year"?

While "during july of last year" is technically understandable, it's less common and can sound awkward. "In july last year" is the more standard and preferred phrasing.