Prepositions "at" "for" used with about.

Question

We will arrive about three o'clock. / We will arrive at about three o'clock.He stayed about ten minutes. / He stayed for about ten minutes.'At about' and 'for about' seem redundant.Am I wrong?

Mr Wordy · Accepted Answer

I wouldn't say "redundant". Although the sentences work without "at" and "for", to me they seem less casual and more "fully formed" with those words included.

CalifJim · Answer

Anonymous'At about' and 'for about' seem redundant.
Am I wrong?

Sorry, but yes, you are wrong.

Three o'clock implies exactly three o'clock.
About three o'clock implies near three o'clock, 2:56 or 3:02, perhaps, or 3:07, or 2:48.

Likewise for ten minutes. About ten may be 9, 9 1/2, 10 1/2, 11, ....

We will arrive at [exactly / about / approximately] 3 o'clock.
We will stay for [exactly / about / approximately] five days.
We gave food to [exactly / about / approximately] 50 people.
Along the mountain road, we had to go through [exactly / about / approximately] 20 tunnels.

The items in brackets are measures of the exactness of the following number. As such, they are independent of the preceding preposition.

CJ

Edit: On rereading it, it seems I may have missed the import of your question. Yes, the at and the for may be omitted in those.

Prepositions "at" "for" used with about.

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