for a substantial length

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "for a substantial length" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a significant duration of time or extent in various contexts, such as discussions about time, distance, or size. Example: "The project took for a substantial length of time to complete, far exceeding our initial estimates."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

If young people – used to constant interruptions from buzzing handsets – join the world of work without the ability to concentrate for a substantial length of time, they will struggle when given a lengthy task.

Forbes

While the available studies have flaws, they do suggest that ED invasive lines are a source of infection, remain in place for a substantial length of time, and that adherence to maximum barrier precautions is poor.

International Journal of Emergency Medicine

The problem with Chile's style is the difficulty maintaining it for a substantial length of time, particularly with temperatures in the high 20s and the possibility of extra time and penalties.

BBC

This indicates that despite limited resources in the setting virological efficacy can be sustained for a substantial length of time and also enhance immunological recovery irrespective of age.

BMC Infectious Diseases

The latter two processes can result in paralogs that persist for a substantial length of time (although a few exceptions have been proposed, such as pseudogene resurrection [ 27]).

BMC Evolutionary Biology

The health care rendered to medical outliers can be for a substantial length of time and cost to the medical practitioner.

BMC Medical Ethics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

For most drugs, a large sample size and a substantial length of follow-up for exposed and unexposed patients allowed the conduct of a broad array of dose-response relation analyses and sensitivity analyses, each of which supported the primary conclusions.

British Medical Journal

A more recent fMRI study by Schurz et al. (2010) also showed a substantial length effect on activation for both words and nonwords in the left occipital cortex and identified the VWFA as exhibiting an interaction of length by lexicality.

Cognitive Psychology

A comparison of average transcript length and N50 length to the 5 transcriptomes shows a substantial length increase with respect to both transcript length and open reading frame (ORF) length.

BMC Genomics

On Sunday, interviews with the police and with Mr. Tarloff's family and neighbors, offered a portrait of an increasingly troubled and depressed man whose actions were deemed serious enough to draw the attention of the authorities, but not grave enough to merit committing him to a psychiatric hospital for any substantial length of time.

The New York Times

"I feel somewhat overwhelmed at the prospect of trying to talk for any substantial length of time about a lawsuit that isn't going anywhere," he explained.

Harvard University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "for a substantial length", ensure the context clearly indicates whether you're referring to time, distance, or another measurable quantity to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "for a substantial length" in casual conversations or informal writing where simpler alternatives like "for a long time" or "quite a bit" would be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "for a substantial length" functions primarily as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb or clause, indicating the duration or extent of an action or state. Ludwig AI confirms this usage through numerous examples where the phrase describes how long something lasts or the degree to which something extends.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

66%

News & Media

16%

Academia

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "for a substantial length" is a prepositional phrase used to indicate a considerable duration or extent. Ludwig AI analysis indicates it functions as an adverbial phrase and is grammatically correct, though not exceedingly common. It finds its primary use in scientific, news, and academic contexts. Its usage suggests a neutral to formal register, making it suitable for contexts where precision and emphasis are desired. While effective, it is important to consider simpler alternatives like "for a long time" or "for an extended period" in more informal settings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

for a considerable duration

Replaces 'substantial' with 'considerable', emphasizing the duration's noteworthiness.

for a significant period

Substitutes 'substantial length' with 'significant period', focusing on the importance of the timeframe.

for an extended time

Emphasizes the prolonged nature using 'extended' instead of 'substantial'.

for a prolonged duration

Similar to 'extended time', but uses 'prolonged' for a more formal tone.

for a noteworthy extent

Shifts the focus to the degree or scope of something, using 'noteworthy' to highlight its significance.

for a remarkable stretch

Replaces 'substantial length' with 'remarkable stretch', suggesting an impressive duration.

for a considerable amount of time

Adds 'of time' for clarity, making the phrase more explicit about duration.

for a measurable interval

Focuses on the ability to quantify the length, using 'measurable interval'.

through a sizable distance

Changes the context to physical distance rather than time, using 'sizable' to indicate a large extent.

over an appreciable distance

Similar to 'sizable distance', but uses 'appreciable' to suggest a noticeable extent.

FAQs

What does "for a substantial length" mean?

The phrase "for a substantial length" indicates a considerable or significant duration or extent, often referring to time, distance, or size.

What can I say instead of "for a substantial length"?

You can use alternatives like "for a considerable duration", "for a significant period", or "for an extended time", depending on the context.

Is it better to say "for a substantial length of time" or "for a long time"?

"For a substantial length of time" is more formal and emphasizes the significance of the duration, while "for a long time" is simpler and suitable for informal contexts.

How do I use "for a substantial length" in a sentence?

Use it to describe something that lasts or extends for a significant amount of time or distance. For example: "The study followed participants "for a substantial length" to observe long-term effects."