(For/until, In /By)Duration preposition: Asking a question about past duration using: How long?
Point of time: 2 o’clock/2:10, Sunday/Monday, January/February 2023/2079, Dinner time/lunchtime/bedtime/midnight/dawn/dusk, Last + week/month/year, etc.
Period of
time: 10
minutes/20 minutes/5 hours, 2 days/5 years/years and years/ages, 2 months/ 6
months
Asking
questions about past Duration: beginning with: How long…?
Asking about ACTIVITY: How long did+ you/he/she + v1……? Activity is what we engaged in.
We spent a specific amount of time doing things, stopped, and then picked it
back up later. The idea is just to spend some time working on the activity or
goal before stopping. Nothing to finish, obtain, complete, or attain. The three
examples with explanations about the activities are: He played football:
He spent a certain time
playing football and then he stopped. There
is nothing to gain and nothing to achieve. It is therefore an activity. I
telephoned my dad this morning:
There is no task to do, accomplish, finish, gain, or achieve; I merely spoke to
my father for a specific amount of time before ceasing to do so. Tomorrow, I
can likewise call my father. Thus, it’s an activity. We
discussed politics:
We talked about politics for a while before stopping. There is nothing to
earn or accomplish. It is therefore an activity.
Asking
about ACHIEVEMENT: How long did+ it take+ you/him/her + to +v1..? Achievement
is the outcome of what we accomplished; it is the act of completing the entire
performance or competition/fulfillment of the objective. Typically, we don't
get involved in such work right away after it has been completed or achieved.
For example, she won the match: She won the game, which indicates that
she obtained what she sought to do and completed her mission, which is the act
of carrying out the entire performance. Consequently, it represents an
achievement.
I wrote an essay: I wrote an essay, which
indicates that the task was finished, accomplished, or finished. It is an
accomplishment. They developed a vaccine for COVID-19: It is
outcome-focused, meaning the entire performance was finished, completed, or
satisfied, according to Covid-19. So, it represents an achievement.
1. They talked
on the telephone. (Activity)
How long did they
talk on the telephone?
2. We played
golf on Sunday. (Activity)
How long did you
play golf on Sunday?
3. She painted
the bathroom ceiling. (Achievement)
How long did it
take her to paint the ceiling?
4. He mowed the
lawn. (Achievement)
How did it take him
to mow the lawn?
5. I wrote all
my letters. Achievement
How long did it
take you to write a letter?
6. We had to
change the wheel. Achievement
How long did it
take you to change the wheel?
7. He watched
the TV. (Activity)
How long did he
watch the TV?
8. I read the
whole book War & Peace. (Achievement)
How long did it
take you to read the whole book War & Peace?
9. She did some
piano practice. (Activity)
How long did she do
some piano practice?
10. She waited
at the bus stop. (Activity)
How long did she
wait at the bus stop?
11. They talked on
the telephone. (15 minutes)
(Activity) Period
of time and activity “for”
12. We played golf on Sunday. (Dusk)
(Activity) Point
of time “until”
13. She painted the
bathroom ceiling. (7 o’clock)
(Achievement) Point
of time “by”
14. She mowed the
lawn. (10 minutes)
(Achievement)Period
of time “in”
15. I wrote all my
letters. (Lunchtime)
(Achievement)Point
of time “by”
16. We had to
change the wheel. (5 minutes)
(Achievement) Period
of time “in”
17. He watched the
TV. (Late movie came in)
(Activity)Point
of time “until”
18. I read the
whole book War & Peace. (2 weeks)
(Achievement) Period
of time “in”
19. She did some
piano practice. (Bedtime)
(Activity)Point
of time “until”
20. She waited at
the bus stop. (Ages)
(Activity)Period
of time “for”