over the course of
During the period of time from the beginning to the end of something.
writing-task-1writing-task-2speakingEnvironmentScience and research
การใช้ใน IELTS
Useful for describing changes over time in Task 1 line graphs or processes, and for discussing long-term trends or developments in Task 2 and Speaking.
ตัวอย่าง
- The temperature increased steadily over the course of the 20th century.
- Over the course of the experiment, the researchers observed significant changes in behaviour.
- The city's population has grown by 20% over the course of the last decade.
Collocation
- over the course of a year
- Sales figures improved gradually over the course of a year.
- over the course of the study
- Over the course of the study, participants reported reduced anxiety levels.
- over the course of several weeks
- The plants were watered regularly over the course of several weeks.
- over the course of history
- Over the course of history, trade routes have shaped cultural exchange.
Paraphrase
- during the period of: More formal; used when specifying exact dates.
- throughout: Implies continuous action over the whole period.
- over the span of: Emphasizes the length of the time period.
ข้อผิดพลาดที่พบบ่อย
- Over the course in the project, we collected data. to Over the course of the project, we collected data.. Use 'of' after 'course'.
- Over the course of three months, the number of visitors increased. to Over the course of three months, the number of visitors increased.. This sentence is correct; ensure that 'course of' is used properly. A common error is to write 'over the course three months' missing 'of'.
- Over the course of, the temperature went up. to Over the course of the day, the temperature went up.. The phrase needs a noun after 'course of' to specify the period.