three successive years

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "three successive years" is grammatically correct and commonly used in written English.
It means "three years in a row" or "three consecutive years." Example: "The company reported record profits for three successive years, indicating strong and consistent growth."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Academia

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Although that has helped to keep TMG commercially successful, returning £50m-plus profits for three successive years, it has not solved the main problem of a paper that has lost its mojo and just doesn't know how to get it back.

The Guardian

The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium has had some success in breeding M. alfredi, with one female giving birth in three successive years.

Wikipedia

They did this for three successive years.

The New York Times

A record has been set in three successive years.

The New York Times

The study was repeated in three successive years (1995 1997) using the same experimental design.

Small Ruminant Research

Then, in three successive years, cancer came back in other places, requiring surgery.

Independent

Additionally, she has been named a Super Lawyer for three successive years and one of Detroit's Most Influential Women by a leading business publication.

Harvard University

Hammond said lower costs could be good news for passengers from 2014, the last of three successive years of steep fare rises.

The Guardian

He discovered, for instance, that he had to submit a work to the local censorship commission in three successive years before it would pass muster.

The New York Times - Arts

New York, which ranked fourth among the highest gainers of blacks in the 1990s, has now recorded three successive years of black population losses.

The New York Times

The worst culprit, though, was the North Korean federation, which listed one athlete as 15 for three successive years so that she could contest age-group championships.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about a series of events spanning multiple years, ensure the context clearly indicates whether the years are intended to be successive. If not, use alternative phrasing such as "over three years."

Common error

Avoid using "three successive years" when referring to a period that is not consecutive. For instance, if referencing events in 2018, 2020 and 2022, do not describe this as "three successive years".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "three successive years" functions as an adjectival phrase modifying a noun. It indicates the duration and consecutiveness of a period. Ludwig provides numerous examples of this usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Academia

10%

Wiki

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "three successive years" is a common and grammatically correct way to describe a period of three consecutive years. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and provides many examples of its use across diverse contexts, predominantly in news, science, and business. Alternatives include "three consecutive years" and "three years in a row". When using the phrase, ensure that the timeframe is indeed consecutive to avoid misinterpretation. As confirmed by Ludwig, this phrase effectively communicates duration and continuity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

three consecutive years

Uses "consecutive" instead of "successive", maintaining the meaning of years following one after another.

in three subsequent years

Uses "subsequent" as a formal synonym for "successive."

three years in a row

Replaces "successive" with "in a row", providing a more informal alternative.

three straight years

Emphasizes the unbroken sequence of years.

during three years running

Similar to "in a row", emphasizing the continuous nature.

the last three years

Specifies the most recent three-year period.

past three years

Focuses on the timeframe retrospectively.

for a three-year stretch

Highlights the duration as a continuous period.

over a three-year period

Focuses on the length of time rather than the sequence.

throughout three years

Highlights that something occurred during those years.

FAQs

How do I use "three successive years" in a sentence?

Use "three successive years" to describe a period of three years that immediately follow one another. For example: "The company has seen record profits for "three successive years"."

What can I say instead of "three successive years"?

You can use alternatives like "three consecutive years", "three years in a row", or "last three years" depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "for three successive year"?

No, the correct phrase is "for "three successive years"". The noun "years" is plural, so it must agree with the quantifier "three".

What is the difference between "three successive years" and "over three years"?

"Three successive years" implies a continuous period, whereas "over three years" indicates a period lasting more than three years, but not necessarily consecutive.