Page 419 - Makino,Tsutusi.DictionaryOfIntermediateJGrammar

+A, L*i
f. *% 3 % (cf. %%U% (since last week))
g. ??%&% (cf. %3%UJR (since the end of last week))

h. ??xg% (cf. %A UJR (since last month))
i. ??%%% (cf. $%US (since the end of the year))
However, there are exceptional cases where -rai can be used with anon-
duration expression as in (2):
[2] a. %E% (since yesterday) cf. %Eu%, *%d %
b. %&% (since last night) cf. %&US, *&%%

c. %$% (since last year) cf. %4U%
V%I<IL
d. A@&% (since year before last) cf. -@4M%
11. When -rai indicates continuation of an action 1 state, it can be replaced
by - rnae kara, or -kan, as shown in [3a], [3b] below.

(= Ex.(a)) -
-
-
-
-
-
-
- -
-
-
-mi can be freely replaced by - rnae kara and -kan, but not vice versa, - -
because the latter can be used with an expression of both relatively
short and long duration; whereas the former can be used only with a rel-
atively long duration, as shown below:
L: 6%
/
[41 a. / =~W%A3% *ZE+W%l ElzP;BB%5& L
Tblao
(He's been studying Japanese for two hours.)
b. {M/%tP% /*%I g$p&9TbG0
(It's been snowing for two days.)
When -rai is used in X wa N(duration)-rai no Y da construction, -rai can
be replaced by -buri da which means 'after the lapse of -,' as shown by
[4a] and [4b]. Note that Y cannot be a person as in Ex.(d).