VOA慢速英语2020--‘How Long’ and ‘How Much Time’

 

Today, we answer a question from Jorge in Colombia. He writes:

Question:

I'd like to know the difference between "how long" and "how much time." When should I use them?

Thank you – from Jorge in Colombia

Answer:

Dear Jorge,

Thank you for your question. Both "how long" and "how much time" are used to ask about the amount of time something takes or has taken. But there are differences between the two. Let us take a look at them.

How long

You will probably hear "how long" more than "how much time." It can sound less formal than "how much time" and many speakers find it more natural. It often comes at the beginning of a question. Here are a few examples:

How long have you lived in Texas?

How long will you be at the store?

"How long" is often used with the present perfect verb tense. So, the questions you may want to ask will likely begin with "how long have you..." English speakers do not use "How long" directly before the word "time." It is not correct to say "how long time." However, you may hear, "how long a time" in some situations, as in this example:

How long a time will we have to wait for the test result?

How much time

"How much time" is more exact than "how long". You will hear it at the beginning of a question. It is often used when asking about a shorter length of time.

English speakers may think it sounds a bit awkward¹ to say "how much time" when not asking for or giving directions. For example, you might use "how much time" to ask for the amount of time it takes to cook something. Or, you might use "how much time" to ask for the estimated² length of time it takes to do a task.

How much time does it take to cook rice?

How much time will it take to clean the house?

Thank you for the question, Jorge. I hope it did not take too much time for you to understand the answer!

Words in This Story

formal – adj. suitable for serious or official speech and writing

awkward – adj. not socially graceful³ or confident: uneasy⁴ or uncomfortable

task – n. a piece of work that has been given to someone: a job for someone to do

1 awkward   

adj.笨拙的，尴尬的，使用不便的，难处理的

参考例句：

• John is so shy and awkward that everyone notices him.约翰如此害羞狼狈，以至于大家都注意到了他。
• I was the only man among the guests and felt rather awkward.作为客人中的唯一男性，我有些窘迫。

2 estimated   

adj．根据估计的

参考例句：

• She estimated the breadth of the lake to be 500 metres. 她估计湖面大约有500米宽。
• The man estimated for the repair of the car. 那人估算了修理汽车的费用。

3 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

4 uneasy   

adj.心神不安的，担心的，令人不安的

参考例句：

• He feels uneasy today.他今天心里感到不安。
• She had an uneasy feeling that they were still following her.她有一种他们仍在跟踪她的不安感觉。