0
Anonymous Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

I want to know the usage of "long" and " a long time".

0I want to know the usage of "long" and " a long time". 02br
02br
00(a) It will be a long time before he comes.02br
02br
00(b) It won't be long before he comes.02br
02br
00Why can't we use "long" in affirmative sentences like (a) ?02br
02br
00Why can't we use "a long time" in negative sentences like (b)?0-
  

Top answer

0 01a 02a 00Hi Anonymous,02br 02br 00I found the following explanation in Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary:02br 02br 00Both 00(for) long00 and 00(for) a long time00 are used as expressions of time. 02font 02br 00Both 00(for) long00 and 00(for) a long time00 can be used in questions, but 00(for) long00 is usually preferred: 00Have you been waiting long? 02br 02br 00 0-

— Anonymous

  • 0 01a 02a 00Hi Anonymous,02br 02br 00I found the following explanation in Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary:02br 02br 00Both 00(for) long00 and 00(for) a long time00 are used as expressions of time.
  • 02font 02br 00Both 00(for) long00 and 00(for) a long time00 can be used in questions, but 00(for) long00 is usually preferred: 00Have you been waiting long?
  • 02br 02br 00 0-
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

2 Answers
0
0 01a02a00Hi Anonymous,02br
02br
00I found the following explanation in Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary:02br
02br
00Both 00(for) long00 and 00(for) a long time00 are used as expressions of time. In positive sentences 00(for) a long time00 is used: 01font
0
0
0 Thank you very much. 0-
0

Related Questions