English Language & Usage Asked on May 30, 2021
What are the correct adjectives to use when talking about amounts of time (when one needs to quantify an amount of time)? In particular, which one of the two:
little / small
big / large
For example: the airplane had a _ _ _ delay.
A better sentence would be:
The flight had a long delay.
rather than
The flight had a big delay.
We usually measure time in lengths, so long and short are normal for this kind of sentence.
OTOH, native speakers will say things like:
There was a big delay on the Brooklyn Bridge today because of a serious accident.
Correct answer by user21497 on May 30, 2021
I would choose the words long or short to fill in the sentence, or something referring to length, rather than big or little. I have mixed feelings about using the term amount when talking about time. For instance, I wouldn't be bothered if someone said, "It was difficult to estimate the amount of time it would take to complete the task." It sounds more natural than saying length of time. But if someone said, "Three weeks is the usual length of time needed to review an application," it sounds better to me than saying amount. I absolutely cannot stand it, though, when anyone says, "amount of people." That's just plain wrong.It drives me bonkers.
Answered by Pat M on May 30, 2021
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