1.   Brown for over a year, participants in the deal said, but talks became serious over the last month.

2.   Such analyses also pointed out the trend line of the violence becoming more and more serious over time.

3.   Nagvajara said he skied for fun while at college and became more serious over time.

4.   Nagvajara said he skied for fun while he was at school and became more serious over time.

5.   The effect was not as serious over the northern hemisphere, until now.

6.   The wrangling that has often marked French-U.S. relations turned more serious over the past year, with Paris striking an increasingly independent pose.

7.   The wrangling that has long marked French-U.S. relations turned more serious over the past year, with Paris striking an increasingly independent pose.