for five consecutive years

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "for five consecutive years" is correct and usable in written English.
For example, you can use it in the sentence, "She has served as president for five consecutive years."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

By 1995, the Rams had lost 10 or more games for five consecutive years.

The New York Times - Sports

WOMEN'S DIVISION I TOURNAMENT For five consecutive years, Maryland has won the Division I women's title.

The New York Times - Sports

China's home market has experienced falling prices for five consecutive years.

The New York Times

That comes after what was generally a decline in prices for five consecutive years.

The New York Times

Haiti's Constitution requires candidates to live in the country for five consecutive years before an election.

The New York Times

Institutional Investor magazine named him the No. 1 Internet analyst for five consecutive years.

The New York Times

The improvement last year came after the trade imbalance set records for five consecutive years.

The New York Times

Dominique Aury once boasted that she had read all of Proust every year for five consecutive years.

The Guardian - Books

The iPhone has been the world's bestselling smartphone for five consecutive years, but will its run last?

The Economist

That horror, and the ban on handguns that followed, encouraged gun ownership to decline for five consecutive years.

The Economist

From 1993 through 1997, the economy grew for five consecutive years -- more than 40percentt over all -- before contracting slightly in 1998, largely because of falling gold prices.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "for five consecutive years", ensure the context clearly establishes what is occurring or being measured over that period. This provides clarity and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "for five consecutive years" when the time frame isn't actually consecutive. Double-check that the events or measurements occurred without interruption to maintain accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "for five consecutive years" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb by specifying the duration and continuity of an action or state. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is a standard and usable English phrase. The examples show its use in describing trends, achievements, or requirements over a specific period.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

54%

Science

23%

Formal & Business

12%

Less common in

Wiki

7%

Reference

2%

Encyclopedias

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "for five consecutive years" is a common and grammatically correct way to describe a continuous period of five years during which something occurs without interruption. As Ludwig AI indicates, this phrase is perfectly acceptable in written English. It's frequently found in news, scientific reports, and formal business documents, as well as general contexts, signaling its broad applicability. When using this phrase, it's important to ensure the events or measurements actually occurred without breaks to accurately convey sustained consistency. Alternatives like "for five straight years" or "five years in a row" can be used for similar emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

for five straight years

Replaces "consecutive" with "straight", emphasizing the unbroken sequence.

in five successive years

Substitutes "consecutive" with "successive", maintaining similar meaning.

five years in a row

Emphasizes the sequential nature using the idiomatic phrase "in a row".

during a five-year streak

Uses "streak" to denote a continuous run, altering the phrase structure.

spanning five continuous years

Highlights the duration with "spanning" and uses "continuous" as a synonym.

annually for five years straight

Specifies "annually" to highlight the yearly occurrence and "straight" for continuity.

over a five-year period without interruption

More explicitly states the lack of interruption, making it more descriptive.

for a continuous five-year term

Emphasizes the duration with "term" to indicate the period.

throughout five years running

Uses "throughout" to indicate the duration and "running" to emphasize continuity.

each year for a half-decade running

Uses "half-decade" and "running" to convey the duration and continuity.

FAQs

How can I use "for five consecutive years" in a sentence?

You can use "for five consecutive years" to describe a continuous period over which something occurs, such as "The company has increased its profits for five consecutive years".

What's a similar phrase to "for five consecutive years"?

Similar phrases include "for five straight years", "in five successive years", and "five years in a row".

Is there a difference between "for five consecutive years" and "for five years"?

"For five consecutive years" emphasizes that the years are unbroken, whereas "for five years" simply states a duration without specifying continuity.

Can I use "for five consecutive years" to describe future events?

While less common, you can use it for projected future events, but ensure the context clearly indicates a forecast or expectation, not a guaranteed outcome. For instance: "Analysts predict the company will grow for five consecutive years".