“During” vs. “For”: What’s the Difference?

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The difference between “during” and “for”

  • "During" emphasizes the activity or event taking place within a certain time frame, while "for" emphasizes the length of time.
  • "During" describes a moment within a period of time, while "for" describes the entirety of that time period.
  • "For" can also describe the motivation or reason for an action, while "during" does not have this meaning.
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What is the definition of “during” and “for”?

During
  • "During" refers to a certain period of time in which a specific activity or event takes place.
  • It implies that something is happening at the same time as another thing.
  • "During" can be used to describe a moment within a particular time frame.
For
  • For refers to the entire duration of a specific period of time.
  • It describes the length of time something takes to occur.
  • For can be used to describe an activity that happens over a specific period of time.

Which is the more popular variant on the Internet?

“For” is the more popular variant on the web.
During
7,680,000,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. I studied hard during the final exams week.
  2. The baby slept peacefully during the thunderstorm.
  3. The power went out during the football game, so we had to listen to it on the radio.
More popular
For
25,140,000,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. We are going on a trip to Europe for two weeks.
  2. He waited for two hours at the airport for his flight to arrive.
  3. I walked for three miles before stopping to rest.
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