前面看到有人问到 over the next 20 years 与 in the next 20 years，非常受收成！
我想到另外一个问题：over the next 20 years, over the next five years, over the next few years 等短语一般是连用什么时态呢？表示“在将来的多少年”，按道理应该是用以后时态吧，但如何我看到前面老师的解答中可用好多种时态呢？麻烦老师解答一下，很感谢！
▲over the next few years 不只表示“在将来的几年里”，而且还表示“在其后的几年里”，所以可以参考语境的需要来选定时态。如：
1. 通常过去时
Over the next 150 years, many others followed his lead. 随后150年，很多人效法于他。
Over the next few days they got to know the town well. 在将来几天中，他们渐渐熟知了这个小镇。
2. 以后时态
The computer wars are going to get vicious over the next few years. 计算机行业的角逐在将来几年将愈演愈烈。
The debate will play out in the meetings and in the media over the next week or two. 近一两个星期内，辩论将在会议中进行，并将在传媒中宣传。
3. 进行时态（表示以后意义）
Turkey is expecting an influx of several thousand refugees over the next few days. 涌入土耳其的难民预计会达几千人。
Over the next two years, the theatre is putting on the complete works of Brecht. 以后两年剧院将上演布莱希特的全部戏剧。
4. 以后进行时
The bank will be making 3 500 redundancies over the next five years. 在将来5 年内该银行将裁员3,500 人。
▲另外，这种短语有时并可能不是修饰谓语动词，而可能是修饰句中的非谓语动词，所以此时它与谓语动词的时态根本没任何关联。如：
We can expect to see an improvement in the weather over the next few days. 大家预计将来几每天气转好。
He told supporters to stand fast over the next few vital days. 他叫支持者在下面的几个特殊日子里站稳立场。
A million people are expected to visit the museum over the next 12 months. 预计在将来的12 个月中或有100万人参观这个博物馆。
My reading of the situation is that this conflict is likely to get worse over the next few months. 对于这一局势，我的怎么看是以后几个月内这场冲突会愈演愈烈。
