Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Long time back or Long time ago

1,198 views
Skip to first unread message

MBALOVER

unread,
Nov 12, 2012, 3:46:24 PM11/12/12
to
Hi all,

I often use " long time ago", "several months ago" for example " I sent you that letter long time ago " which I am pretty sure are correct. However I see that my colleagues often use " long time back", " 2 months back" etc. Are they also correct and idiomatic?

Thanks

JOF

unread,
Nov 12, 2012, 4:31:19 PM11/12/12
to
- a long time ago.
- several months ago.
- two months ago.

All of those are equally idiomatic.

The version "I sent you that letter long time ago", without the "a",
is wrong.

The forms "a long time back" and "two months back" would be alright in
conversation, but not so good for formal writing.

--
John

tony cooper

unread,
Nov 12, 2012, 4:32:04 PM11/12/12
to
On Mon, 12 Nov 2012 12:46:24 -0800 (PST), MBALOVER
<mbal...@gmail.com> wrote:

The phrase, in AmE, is more idiomatic as "...letter long ago". "Time"
is usually omitted unless it's written "...letter a long time ago".



--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

Glenn Knickerbocker

unread,
Nov 12, 2012, 4:55:13 PM11/12/12
to
On 11/12/2012 3:46 PM, MBALOVER wrote:
> I see that my colleagues often use " long time back", " 2 months
> back" etc. Are they also correct and idiomatic?

Yes, and "back" emphasizes the remoteness of the time, so "a long time
back" is much more likely than "a few days back." You might say you did
something a few days back if you expected a response within hours, or if
you forgot about it quickly because you've been doing a lot of other
things in that time.

ŹR

Guy Barry

unread,
Nov 12, 2012, 9:45:46 PM11/12/12
to


"MBALOVER" wrote in message
news:a7337240-6073-4e0b...@googlegroups.com...

> Hi all,

> I often use " long time ago", "several months ago" for example " I sent
> you that letter long time ago "
> which I am pretty sure are correct.

I would say "a long time ago", not "long time ago".

> However I see that my colleagues often use " long time back", " 2 months
> back" etc. Are they also correct and idiomatic?

I have heard "two months back" for "two months ago", but I wouldn't use it
myself.

--
Guy Barry

Don Phillipson

unread,
Nov 13, 2012, 9:41:47 AM11/13/12
to
"MBALOVER" <mbal...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:a7337240-6073-4e0b...@googlegroups.com...

> I often use " long time ago", "several months ago" for example " I
> sent you that letter long time ago " which I am pretty sure are correct.

No. Singular nouns here require the indefinite article,
viz. "a long time ago" (while "several months ago" is
correct.

> However I see that my colleagues often use " long time back", " 2
> months back" etc. Are they also correct and idiomatic?

"Back" for past time is an Americanism not used in British
speech and always inadvisable in writing (British or American.)

The word months is appropriate when we wish to show clearly
how much time we mean. But when we do not it is better to
to write simply "long ago." (The word time is usually redundant.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)


0 new messages