How Long Can a Bat Live Trapped in a House

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				Jian Shou from Communist china asks: I ever brand the aforementioned mistake when I talk with my English friend. How many times? and How long? always confuses me. Please requite me an respond.

			How long? is used to ask questions near amounts or periods of time. Take a wait at the following: 'How long have yous been waiting?' 'Only for a minute or two.' 'How long have they been married?' 'Oh, for a very long time. More than than 25 years.' 'How long will the concert final?' 'It should be over past 10 o' clock, I think.' 'How long was your stay in Malaysia?' 'The projection lasted for two years, but I was there for 2 and a half years.' 'How long accept you been living in this house?' 'For 12 years at present, ever since my mother died.' 'How much longer can you stay?' 'Not much longer. For another 10 minutes perchance. I have to be dwelling house before midnight. Note that this construction is often used with the prepositions for or since in the reply.

			How long...? can besides be used to ask about the measured length of something. Study the following: 'How long was the nuptials dress?' 'It was very short, genu-length really.' 'I see you lot are growing your hair. How long exercise you want information technology to be?' 'Shoulder-length at to the lowest degree.'

			If you apply the construction How many times…?, yous are enquiring virtually the specific number of occasions something has happened. Study the following: 'How many times have you read that book?' 'At least ten times. I really like it.' 'How many times did y'all visit them terminal summer?' 'Almost every weekend.' 'How many times did the phone ring last night?' 'We must have had about twenty calls.' 'How many times take I told you not to play football in the garden?'

			Annotation that the construction How often…? is more versatile and is used more frequently than How many times…? When y'all use this construction, you are asking about how frequently something happens. Unlike How many times…? which usually refers to past occasions, How oftentimes…? is used to refer to by, present and future situations. Have a look at the following examples: 'How ofttimes do y'all plan to play tennis this summertime?' 'As often as possible. Every 24-hour interval, if I can.' 'How often will you visit your mother in infirmary?' 'I shall endeavor to visit at to the lowest degree in one case a week.' 'How often did y'all go to the movie house when you lot were young?' 'Every weekend, without fail. There was no goggle box and so.' 'How often do you go to the big supermarket to do your shopping?' 'Non very often. Perhaps one time a month.' 'When y'all lived in London, how often did you get to the theatre?' 'We used to go three or four times a twelvemonth – something like that.

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Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv89.shtml

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