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Guest Posted 22 years ago
Grammar

Ended/Ending

In the sentence, "The private-sector average, for the twelve months _____ August 2004, was 25.1 percent." It seems to me that you should use ended as August 2004 is in the past and thus the period is completed in the past. However, others in my office insist it should be ending, not ended. I think this implies a period continuing from the past into the future. One possible point would be that, it should perhaps be "for the twelve months THAT ended August 2004." In searching Google for a consesus, many more documents seem to use ended than ending, but almost all of them are in financial reports and I can find no grammar guide either way. Any help?
  

Top answer

I like your interpretation 'for the twelve months THAT ended. ', which seems accurate to me, and is probably why 'ended' appears more often. The rationale for 'ending', I suppose, is that the data are being analyzed now and/or that the data and period remain valid now, and 'ending' might be re-phrased as 'for the twelve months that END August 2004'.

— Mister Micawber

  • I like your interpretation 'for the twelve months THAT ended.
  • ', which seems accurate to me, and is probably why 'ended' appears more often.
  • The rationale for 'ending', I suppose, is that the data are being analyzed now and/or that the data and period remain valid now, and 'ending' might be re-phrased as 'for the twelve months that END August 2004'.
  • The googled pages are in financial reports because that is where this phrase most often is used, and you too are using it in a financial/business context, so your best option is to follow precedent.
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1 Answers
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I like your interpretation 'for the twelve months THAT ended. . .', which seems accurate to me, and is probably why 'ended' appears more often. The rationale for 'ending', I suppose, is that the data are being analyzed now and/or that the data and period remain valid now, and 'ending' might be re-phrased as 'for the twelve months that END August 2004'.

The googled pages are in financial
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