for over two weeks

USAGE SUMMARY

"for over two weeks" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to a length of time in the past. For example: "I was sick for over two weeks last month."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

I haven't been able to go to the mosque for over two weeks".

The Guardian

There was a local newspaper strike recently for over two weeks.

The New Yorker

Until then, the corpse had languished for over two weeks — not only unburied but, in a way, unburiable.

The New Yorker

i have lived in new york for over two weeks now. it does not smell of wee".

The New Yorker

For over two weeks, the Robin Moor survivors followed the news in silence, feeling at times like ghosts.

The New Yorker

I've been humming the song 'Hand, foot and mouth disease' from Get Well Soon for over two weeks now.

Independent

For over two weeks, in the great cathedral of capitalism, the dispossessed have liberated territory from the financial overlords and their police army".

The New Yorker

But the 17 who are now in the South Korean consulate raise more complicated issues, and some have been stuck there for over two weeks.

The New York Times

The half-inch starry flowers, 6 to 10 of them, loosely cluster on each slim but sturdy 10-inch stem and hold for over two weeks.

The New York Times - Style

For over two weeks while their ship was under way, Brian Lewis had nowhere to escape from his attacker, a senior noncommissioned officer.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

A pregnant school teacher was arrested and jailed for just over two weeks for "spreading rumors" due to sharing a Facebook post about student protests.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When specifying a duration, ensure that the context clearly indicates whether the period is continuous or intermittent. For example, "The project was delayed for over two weeks due to unforeseen circumstances" implies a continuous delay.

Common error

Be precise with your timeframe. Saying "I haven't seen him for over two weeks" could be misinterpreted if the exact start date is crucial. Providing a specific date range clarifies the situation and avoids confusion.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "for over two weeks" functions as an adverbial phrase of duration, modifying a verb or clause by specifying the length of time an action or state persists. Ludwig confirms the accuracy and usability of this common English expression.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

44%

Science

24%

Wiki

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

12%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "for over two weeks" is a common and grammatically sound phrase used to indicate a duration exceeding two weeks. As confirmed by Ludwig, it serves as an adverbial phrase of duration, providing temporal context across various registers, most frequently in news and media. When using the phrase, it's important to consider clarity and avoid ambiguity with specific time references. Alternative phrases like "longer than a fortnight" can be used for stylistic variation or to adjust the level of formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

longer than a fortnight

Replaces the literal "two weeks" with the more formal "fortnight" and uses "longer than" instead of "for over".

exceeding a couple of weeks

Substitutes "for over" with "exceeding" and "two weeks" with "a couple of weeks".

more than fourteen days

Replaces "two weeks" with its equivalent in days and uses "more than" instead of "for over".

in excess of two weeks

Replaces "for over" with the more formal "in excess of".

a period longer than two weeks

Emphasizes the duration as 'a period' and uses 'longer than' instead of 'for over'.

over a span of two weeks

Focuses on the duration being a 'span' with slight alteration in wording.

at least a couple of weeks

Uses a different preposition "at least" to indicate the minimum duration.

for a duration exceeding two weeks

Rephrases to emphasize 'duration' and uses 'exceeding' to convey 'over'.

for more than a fortnight

Combines 'more than' with 'fortnight' for a slight variation in style.

stretching beyond two weeks

Uses a more vivid verb, "stretching", to emphasize the length of the duration.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "for over two weeks" to sound more formal?

You can use phrases like "in excess of two weeks" or "for a period exceeding two weeks" to achieve a more formal tone.

What's a less formal way to say "for over two weeks"?

Informally, you could say "for more than a couple of weeks" or "at least two weeks".

Is there a difference between "for over two weeks" and "for the past two weeks"?

Yes, "for the past two weeks" refers specifically to the two weeks immediately preceding the present, while "for over two weeks" indicates a duration longer than two weeks at some point, not necessarily the immediate past.

How to use "for over two weeks" in a sentence?

You can use the phrase to indicate the duration of an event or state. For example, "The road has been closed "for over two weeks" due to construction."