during the last week

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "during the last week" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to refer to a specific period of time that has just ended, in relation to the present moment. Example: "During the last week, I have been studying for my exams."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

I last worked for Motionloft during the last week of November".

TechCrunch

Some time during the last week she crossed a line.

Independent

Hynix shares fell 11.6percentt during the last week.

The New York Times

In total, 8.95 million people were on the benefit rolls during the last week in February.

The New York Times

MRI referrals received per day during the last week.

Insights into Imaging

Data were collected during the last week of each period.

Livestock Science

Participants reported walking for recreation and any walking within their neighbourhood during the last week.

Cities

Patients underwent baseline tumor biopsies followed by a second biopsy during the last week of the first 21-day infusion.

Clinical Colorectal Cancer

The same survey (without the background and demographic variables) was administered online during the last week of class.

Evolution: Education and Outreach

Enteric CH4 emissions were individually determined during the last week of each period using the sulfur hexafluoride tracer technique.

Journal of Dairy Science

We induced prenatal stress by exposing gestating dams to a daily constraint stress during the last week of pregnancy.

Behavioural Brain Research

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "during the last week", ensure the context clearly establishes the reference point in time. This helps avoid ambiguity, especially in longitudinal studies or reports that span multiple weeks.

Common error

Avoid shifting between past and present tenses when describing events "during the last week". Choose the tense that accurately reflects the timeline of events and stick with it for clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "during the last week" functions primarily as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb. It specifies the time frame in which an action or state occurred. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is correct and usable in written English. Examples from Ludwig demonstrate this usage, indicating the period when events took place.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

64%

News & Media

34%

Formal & Business

2%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "during the last week" is a common and grammatically sound way to specify a recent timeframe. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is correct and broadly applicable across different writing contexts. It most frequently appears in scientific and news-related content, serving to provide temporal context to described events. When using this phrase, ensure that the timeframe is clearly defined relative to the context of your writing. Consider alternative phrases like "in the past week" or "over the last week" for variety, and be mindful of maintaining consistent tense usage.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

last week

A shorter, more direct way of saying "during the last week" omitting the preposition.

in the past week

Replaces "during" with "in" and shortens "last week" to "past week", maintaining a very close semantic equivalence.

over the last week

Uses "over" instead of "during" and emphasizes the duration of the timeframe.

in the previous week

Substitutes "last" with "previous", slightly altering the focus from recentness to a prior timeframe.

during the week prior

Reorders the phrase to emphasize the temporal relation to a preceding week.

within the last seven days

Specifies the timeframe in days for greater precision.

in the course of the past week

Uses more formal and emphatic language to refer to the period.

recently

A more general term indicating something happened not long ago, without specifying a week.

in recent days

Refers to a period shorter than a week, but still implying something happened not long ago.

the week before

Highlights the week immediately before the current one, more concise but less emphasizing the duration.

FAQs

How can I use "during the last week" in a sentence?

The phrase "during the last week" typically introduces a timeframe when describing past events. For example: "During the last week, I focused on completing my research paper."

What are some alternatives to "during the last week"?

Alternatives include "in the past week", "over the last week", or simply "last week" depending on the context.

Is there a difference between "during the last week" and "in the last week"?

While both phrases are acceptable, "during the last week" emphasizes the continuous nature of events occurring throughout the week, whereas "in the last week" is slightly more general and focuses on the timeframe itself.

When should I use "during the last week" versus "during the previous week"?

"During the last week" refers to the week immediately preceding the current time, while "during the previous week" refers to the week before that. Make sure to use the correct timeframe to avoid confusion.