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Tenacious Learner Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
How much time ..? vs How long ...
Hi teachers,
Context:
Now they are at home.
They must be at the office in fifteen minutes, at nine o'clock.
Which one is right?
a) How much time do they have before they have to be at the office? Fifteen minutes.
b) How long do they have before they have to be at the office? Fifteen minutes.
c) How long until they have to be at the office? Fifteen minutes.
Thanks in advance.
Context:
Now they are at home.
They must be at the office in fifteen minutes, at nine o'clock.
Which one is right?
a) How much time do they have before they have to be at the office? Fifteen minutes.
b) How long do they have before they have to be at the office? Fifteen minutes.
c) How long until they have to be at the office? Fifteen minutes.
Thanks in advance.
Top answer
Those are all possible. However, with the omission of "do they have", (c) feels more abbreviated, perhaps too much so for a question in an English test.
- Those are all possible.
- However, with the omission of "do they have", (c) feels more abbreviated, perhaps too much so for a question in an English test.
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6 Answers
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Those are all possible. However, with the omission of "do they have", (c) feels more abbreviated, perhaps too much so for a question in an English test.
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GPYHowever, with the omission of "do they have"Hi GPY,
Thanks! Then, I should put it between parentheses.
GPY(c) feels more abbreviated, perhaps too much so for a question in an English test.I won't write that one. They are beginners.
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Tenacious LearnerThanks! Then, I should put it between parentheses.You mean write this?:
How long (do they have) until they have to be at the office?
I don't recommend that.
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GPYHow long (do they have) until they have to be at the office?I don't recommend that.Hi GPY,
Thaks! So, the question without 'do they have' is better. Point taken!
TL
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No, that isn't what I meant. Without "do they have", the sentence is understandable in the context, but, as I mentioned, feels a bit too abbreviated for this purpose. You therefore should include those words. Putting the words in parentheses is not right.
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GPYNo, that isn't what I meant.Oops! Sorry I misunderstood you.
It's crystal clear
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