spend greater time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "spend greater time" is not correct in standard written English.
A more appropriate expression would be "spend more time." Example: "I need to spend more time studying for my exams to ensure I do well."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The EPM test is principally based on the behavior that exposure of animals to an elevated maze alley evokes an approach-avoidance conflict and rodents consistently spend greater time in the closed arms when placed in mazes comprising of open and closed arms [ 40].

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Our findings are in agreement with a study by Torres & Noel 20144) who demonstrated that rats infected with HIV-1 viral protein R (Vpr) spent greater time exploring a familiar object over a novel one [ 40].

Behavioral and Brain Functions

Our data suggest that children who spent greater time in physical activities such as playing general outdoor games were less at risk for being overweight or obese although the association was not significant.

BMC Pediatrics

While the bedfast QI discriminated according to facilities in which residents spent greater time confined to bed, the researchers concluded that it failed to identify differences in activity and assistance with mobility.

BMC Health Services Research

The ACR spends great time and resources to combat these onerous practices in cooperation with its advocacy partner, the Arthritis Foundation.

Clinical Rheumatology

In contrast, the Tat-injected group spent greater exploratory time investigating the familiar object in comparison to the novel object.

Behavioral and Brain Functions

I'll spend great tacts of time watching YouTube videos, writing blog posts, or just procrastinating.

The Guardian

In this study, the adequacy of β-lactam therapy was assessed by calculating the time spent greater than four times the target MIC (T > 4 × MIC).

Critical Care

For instance, spending greater amounts of time with substance abusers has been associated with a greater risk of criminal engagement (Best et al. 2003).

Health & Justice

Nurses spent greater amounts of time on documentation tasks in ICUs, a difference from the Australian general ward dataset [ 15].

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

The H@N co-ordinators reported feeling liberated by the system and are spending vastly greater time engaged in direct clinical activity.

BMJ Open

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When you want to indicate that you're allocating additional time to something, use the phrase "spend more time" or "devote more time" instead of "spend greater time". For example, say "I need to spend more time studying" instead of "I need to spend greater time studying."

Common error

Avoid using "greater" to quantify time spent. "Greater" is typically used for abstract comparisons or increases in size, while "more" is appropriate for time. So, always prefer "more time" over "greater time".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "spend greater time" functions as a verb phrase where "spend" is the verb and "greater time" acts as the object, attempting to quantify the amount of time allocated. However, as noted by Ludwig AI, this phrase is not considered standard English. The Ludwig examples illustrate its usage across various domains, but it's generally advisable to use "spend more time" instead.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

30%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "spend greater time" is used across various domains, including science, news and media, and wiki content, but is considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. As Ludwig AI notes, a better alternative is to use "spend more time" or "devote more time". While the phrase's intended purpose is to express allocating more time to an activity, it is recommended to use grammatically correct alternatives, especially in formal or professional contexts, to ensure clarity and adherence to standard writing conventions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

spend more time

Replaces "greater" with "more", resulting in a grammatically standard and widely accepted phrase.

devote more time

Emphasizes dedication or commitment of time, rather than simply spending it.

allocate more time

Suggests a formal or structured distribution of time.

invest more time

Implies that the time spent is an investment with expected returns.

dedicate more time

Similar to "devote", but may imply a stronger sense of purpose.

spend a longer time

Focuses on the duration of time spent, rather than the relative amount.

allot more time

Suggests a planned distribution of time, similar to "allocate".

put more time into

Indicates effort and focus directed toward a specific task or activity.

give more time to

Emphasizes the act of providing or offering time to something.

extend the time

Focuses on increasing an existing time allocation, rather than a new allocation.

FAQs

Is it grammatically correct to say "spend greater time"?

No, the correct phrasing is to say "spend more time". "Greater" is not typically used to quantify time in this context.

What's a better way to say "spend greater time"?

Instead of "spend greater time", you can use phrases like "spend more time", "devote more time", or "allocate more time".

When should I use "spend more time" instead of "spend greater time"?

Always use "spend more time". The phrase "spend greater time" is not standard English.

What is the difference between "spend greater time" and "spend more time"?

"Spend greater time" is not considered grammatically correct. Always use "spend more time" to express allocating more time to something.