Marc Adler wrote:

> M_SHIRAISHI wrote:
>
> > That IS alright. However, 「厳しい時期*は*過ぎて、今は軌道に乗りました。」
> > is also alright. No problem at all --- I can assure you.
>
> But you said that it had to be は, and not を。I provided examples to
> the contrary.
>
> > 「日本経済は、バブル崩壊後の厳しい時代は過ぎて、成長率がバブル前の云々…」
> > is a  perfect Japanese sentence.
>
> What would be the difference between は and を here, then?



I think there is only a very subtle difference.

If you use "を", then the correspondent sentence means that you will no longer
experience "厳しい時期", On the other hand, if you use "は", then the
correspondent
sentence means that you might have no more so much "厳しい時期", but you must
prepare another  "厳しい時期", it might not be so much severe one though.