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Taka Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

Raining

If 'time' in 'raining for a long time' was replaced with 'span', how would it sound?

Personally, I don't think it sounds right, but I cannot explain why. Could anybody explain to me why?
  

Top answer

Hi, I'd say first that 'span' is not idiomatic. In addition, to me it has overtones of 'from a point to another point'. Best wishes, Clive

— Clive

  • Hi, I'd say first that 'span' is not idiomatic.
  • In addition, to me it has overtones of 'from a point to another point'.
  • Best wishes, Clive
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3 Answers
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Hi,

I'd say first that 'span' is not idiomatic.

In addition, to me it has overtones of 'from a point to another point'.

Best wishes, Clive
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CliveHi,

In addition, to me it has overtones of 'from a point to another point'.

Best wishes, Clive

This is interesting. So you are conscious of such point-to-point thing when you use such phrase as 'life span', like from birth to death. But you cannot pinpoint when it started and ended raining, right?
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Hi Taka

I agree with Clive. "For a long time" refers very generally to a long duration. The word "span" can be used to talk about things other than time, and those are generally things that can be precisely measured -- from one end to the other, or from start to finish. However, you will often hear people talk about "a span of time". For example:

- Direct instruction enables si
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