Hi! Swan, M. 1998. Practical English Usage. OUP: Oxford, p. 154 classifies such constructions as 'Discourse Markers: structuring. He uses the example, 'In the first, second, third place.' I think that it is the same as 'in the past X years'. Swan says thaey are 'used to show the structure of what we are saying.' All the Best, Mike zhangyong <[log in to unmask]> wrote: -----­鴝l郵件----- 寄件者: shun Tang 收件者: [log in to unmask] 日期: 2001年5月15日 AM 12:10 主旨: Is it a kind of ritual? >Is it a negligence or an intended avoidance? > >I am not talking of MANY. I am talking of ALL. > >In talking about English tenses, ALL grammar books are avoiding to talk >about the family of the frequently-used adverbial IN THE PAST XX YEARS (such >as in the past, in the past year, in the past ten months, during the past >two decades, over the past three weeks, for the past few years, etc.) > >Is it a negligence or an intended avoidance? Or is it a kind of ritual? > >Your opinion is welcome. > >Shun >englishtense.com > >========= >Please post your message to the following address: >http://www.englishtense.com/forum.asp >under the subject question: "Is it a kind of ritual?" > >To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html >and select "Join or leave the list" > >Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ Dr. Mike Garant English Philology Department Room C 353 University of Tampere Pyynikintie 2 FIN-33014 University of Tampere Finland Cell phone 050 357 5583 Office 03 215 6134 Associate Editor of AEQ: http://rapidintellect.com/AEQweb/ --------------------------------- Terrorist Attacks on U.S. - How can you help? Donate cash, emergency relief information inYahoo! News.