1.   As he retraced his steps of the past day avoiding streets and roads, he stayed alert to the sounds around him.

2.   For the past several days, the warder said, jail authorities had been pestering the police to get more helpers ....

3.   In the past few days Mr Delors has signalled his determination to boost the executive powers held by Brussels.

4.   In the past few days the President seems to have completely lost the plot.

5.   Later, they spoke for the first time of the difficult position they found themselves in over the past few days.

6.   My wife has been snowbound back East for the past several days.

7.   That would make it extremely painful to have gone short of sterling in the past few days.

8.   The events of the past few days seemed like a bad dream.

9.   These past few days have been a living hell.