pair of years

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "pair of years" is not commonly used in written English and may sound awkward to some readers.
It could be used in contexts where you want to emphasize a specific two-year period, but it is not a standard expression. Example: "During that pair of years, we saw significant changes in the industry."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

That yielded 28 correlations, one for each pair of years.

The New York Times - Magazine

"But this is the most extreme pair of years that we've seen".

The New York Times

It remains quite high even if we consider single pair of years (around 15 20%).

IZA Journal of Labor Policy

Therefore, to check which years were different (post-hoc), three subsequent Pearson Chi Square tests were performed including each pair of years (to have 2×2 contingency tables).

International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education

I construct variance-covariance matrices (24 (times ) 24) for each occupation with the optimal (rho ^_{k}) values calculated for every pair of years throughout 1988–2011.

SERIEs

Because the KennXXXX maps explicitly capture disturbance and growth processes using a consistent technique, they serve as a proxy for the expected differences between maps for any given pair of years.

Carbon Balance and Management

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

On the floor a dancer sat between a pair of year-old male swans.

The New York Times - Arts

The unnamed pair of year 11 pupils from Bellemoor school for boys in Southampton, burned the 6-metre (20ft) phallus into the grass as an end of term joke.

The Guardian

It is rare for skiers and boarders to refer to a single calender year; rather, they remember – and look forward to – pairs of years coupled together.

Independent

Subsequent Family Credit official statistics were based on the FES data pooled over successive pairs of years and the figure for 1990/91 (1991/1992) is 62%66%62%66%

IZA Journal of Labor Economics

The results of this estimation is shown in Figure 8 where we summarize the values obtained for all pairs of years by using a matrix where the value of each element is shown according to a color code.

EPJ Data Science

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing statistical trends or comparisons, use "pair of years" to clearly define the specific two-year timeframe under analysis. This is particularly useful in scientific or academic writing where precision is essential.

Common error

Avoid using "pair of years" in casual conversation or informal writing. Phrases like "couple of years" or simply "two years" are more natural and appropriate for everyday communication.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "pair of years" functions as a noun phrase that typically serves as an adverbial modifier of time, specifying the duration or timeframe under consideration. Ludwig shows that this phrase is often used in contexts involving statistical analysis or comparisons across different years.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

41%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "pair of years" is a grammatically sound noun phrase used to denote a specific two-year period. Ludwig highlights its prevalence in scientific and news-related contexts, where it serves to provide precision in analytical discussions. While grammatically correct, Ludwig AI suggests that simpler alternatives like "couple of years" or ""two-year period"" may be more suitable for informal settings. The phrase maintains a neutral to formal tone, making it a reliable choice for academic, analytical, or descriptive writing requiring a clear temporal reference. It's advised to balance its use with an understanding of the intended audience and context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

two-year period

Emphasizes the duration as a defined period.

couple of years

A more informal and general way to refer to approximately two years.

two years

A straightforward and direct reference to a duration of two years.

duo of years

A more literary or stylized way to say two years, emphasizing the pairing.

span of two years

Highlights the duration over which something occurs.

period of two years

Formal and precise, suitable for academic or technical contexts.

two consecutive years

Emphasizes that the years are following each other in sequence.

a brief biennium

A concise, somewhat formal way to describe a two-year period, useful in specific contexts.

a couple of annual cycles

Referring two years from an annual events/cycle perspective

biennial timeframe

This is a specialized term denoting the two-year period

FAQs

How can I use "pair of years" in a sentence?

You can use "pair of years" to refer to a specific two-year period, especially when comparing data or trends between those years. For example, "The study analyzed the economic growth during that "two-year period"."

What's a more common alternative to "pair of years"?

A more common alternative is "couple of years", which is suitable for general contexts. For more formal or precise writing, ""two-year period"" may be preferable.

Is "pair of years" formal or informal?

"Pair of years" is neither strictly formal nor informal, but it leans towards more analytical or scientific writing. In casual conversation, "couple of years" is generally preferred.

When is it best to use "pair of years" instead of other options?

Use "pair of years" when you want to emphasize the specific nature of a two-year span, especially in the context of a comparison or analysis. Using alternatives like "few years" would make your sentence less precise.