during past time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'during past time' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to talk about events that have already happened or that take place in a period of time before now. For example: "During past times, finding information was much more difficult than it is today."

✓ Grammatically correct

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

In many ways, Clinton's campaign is the antithesis of campaigns during past times of economic uncertainty.

The New Yorker

In the other action, if the congestion control mechanism was invoked during the past time period, the TCP sender should recover immediately to the state before the invocation of the congestion control.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

where ρ is the decaying factor (predefined in the range of 0 to 1) indicating the data quality loss in terms of freshness during the past time period; D ref is the desired amount of fresh data per time period, ΔD t) is the actual amount of data loaded during time period t.

Journal of Big Data

For this purpose, self-reports of biting on nails, on pens, and on chewing gum were used, using the question "How often have you engaged in the following activities during the past time?" [ 28].

BMC Oral Health

The user still be able to notice the anomaly happened during the recent past time intervals.

Security Informatics

Hanus and Zapletálek (1984) came to similar conclusions when they analyzed data from 95 patients who were treated with lithium for approximately 5 years and compared suicide attempt rates during this treatment time to a past time without lithium therapy.

International Journal of Bipolar Disorders

"Everybody remembers Black Monday, but who remembers Happy Monday?" The ads appearing the last few days take a page from the lesson plan developed during past wild times on Wall Street.

The New York Times

Indeed, the United States has for decades provided unconditional support for Turkish authoritarianism, including the three times during past sixty years in which the Turkish military seized power and engaged in gross and systematic human rights abuses.

Huffington Post

A variable regular checkup at the dentist was obtained by dichotomization of answers to question "In the past year, how many times have you visited a dentist?" Participants who had answered that they visited dentist one or more times during past year, were coded as participants who regularly visited a dentist.

BMC Public Health

There are some elements of iOS 6 that quickly become features you're not sure how you lived without, and those aren't necessarily the ones that Apple spent a lot of time highlighting during past announcements and on their website.

TechCrunch

England wasn't manning the ship during those past down times, but he was working there as an analyst.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "during past time", ensure the context clearly specifies the time frame you're referring to. Vague references to the past can confuse readers. Consider adding specific details or time markers to make your statement more informative.

Common error

Avoid using "during past time" with other redundant time references. For example, saying "during the past time of yesterday" is unnecessarily repetitive. Choose the most concise and clear way to express the intended timeframe.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "during past time" functions as a prepositional phrase, typically used to specify when something occurred. While grammatically correct, Ludwig indicates this phrase is not commonly used.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "during past time" is grammatically correct but not commonly used in English. While understandable, it lacks the idiomatic quality of alternatives like "in the past" or "in former times". Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness. For best practice, consider using more common and clearer phrases to avoid confusing readers. Although it can be used to set a specific time in the past, the usage should be concise and prevent redundancy. Overall, it's advisable to opt for more frequent and natural expressions to convey the intended meaning effectively.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in earlier periods

Changes "during past time" with a more formal phrase indicating previous historical spans.

in previous eras

Replaces "during past time" highlighting distinct historical epochs.

in former times

Substitutes "during past time" with a phrase emphasizing a time that preceded the present.

in prior years

Changes "during past time" with a straightforward reference to previous years.

in bygone times

Replaces "during past time" with a more evocative and literary expression indicating a period long ago.

in former days

Replaces "during past time" by referencing a time in the past.

in olden times

Replaces "during past time" with an expression suggesting an ancient or historical era.

in days gone by

Substitutes "during past time" with a nostalgic idiom referring to earlier days.

in yesteryear

Replaces "during past time" with a term indicating the recent past, often with sentimental undertones.

in antiquity

Substitutes "during past time" referring to ancient times, specifically.

FAQs

How can I use the phrase "during past time" in a sentence?

While grammatically correct, "during past time" is not a common phrase. You can use alternatives like "in the past" or "in former times", depending on the context.

What are some alternatives to "during past time"?

Depending on the context, you can replace "during past time" with phrases like "in previous eras", "in days gone by", or "in bygone times".

Is it better to say "during the past time" or "in past time"?

Neither "during past time" nor "in past time" is commonly used. "In the past" or "during the past" are more idiomatic and natural choices. You might also consider "formerly" or "previously".

What is the difference between "during past time" and "during past times"?

"During past time" is less frequently used than "during past times". Both refer to events that happened before now, but "during past times" suggests multiple instances or periods, whereas "during past time" is more general. "During past times" might be more appropriate when discussing recurring events.