Torn between words

[Grinnineddies]

Hi all, this is my first post; however, I've been reading these forums for some time.
I've had my novel done for almost a year, and all of a sudden my opening line has caused me some anquish. In the following sentence, should the words "in" be replaced with "for?" "In" sounds right to me, but I'm now wondering if "for" is the correct word:

"Charles Vindbraum had not tasted alcohol in over thirty years, hadn’t the desire for a sip in nearly twenty..."

What do you think? Thanks for all the great posts!

[Akuma]

This sounds like a case for the Grammar for Grasshoppers forum. :)

[Grinnineddies]

I'll move it there

[TrainofThought]

A mod will move it to Grammar for Grasshoppers, but in my opinion ‘for’ sounds better.

[kristie911]

I'd change the first "in" to "for", leave the second one as "in". Otherwise you're going to have the word "for" in the second part of the sentence almost back to back and it sounds clunky.

Just my 2 cents which doesn't buy much these days! :D

[johnzakour]

I agree, the first "in" should be a "for".

[Toothpaste]

Ditto.

[jerrymouse]

you are the writer, you decide.
i hate this grammar/punctuation facism

[Inkdaub]

I like 'in'.

Tasted in...tasted for...desired in...desired for...hmmm.

Yeah, I like 'in'.

[johnzakour]

I like 'in'.

Tasted in...tasted for...desired in...desired for...hmmm.

Yeah, I like 'in'.

The "in" is okay but "for" reads better to me. You can use whatever you want. Chances are though if you use "in" your copy editor will just change it to "for" anyhow. If "for" is the more proper word.

By the way, just for fun I googled "for many years" and "in many years". "For many years" had over 24 million uses compared to a little over 1 million for in. Not quite the same of course, but close.

Though looking it up in the dictionary in can mean " during; at; after". So I guess that would be proper too. Of course "for" can mean "indicating length of a period of time". This may very well be one of these use whatever feels best times.

It would be nice to hear what a real editor had to say.

[PeeDee]

you are the writer, you decide.
i hate this grammar/punctuation facism

*WHACK*

[Jamesaritchie]

*WHACK*

Can I add a WHACK, WHACK?

[PeeDee]

Go ahead, I'm getting my boots on for the free Kick To The Head that's included.

Jerry, you were kidding, right? Let me know before I lace these suckers up.

[Inkdaub]

Well today is a new day and I like 'for' better now. Only the first 'for/in', though. The second should stay 'in'.

[Nickie]

Grammatically, 'for' is the correct word to use. But you've got a problem then, because you'd have to use it twice in the same sentence. My advice would be to just rewrite the entire sentence!


Nickie