Generally, the word “take” is used when we express how much time we need to do something. There are five common structures. They are as follows: 1.The subject is the person. person + take + time + infinitive |
Examples a.I took an hour and thirty minutes to finish the laundry last Saturday. b.They took three hours to finish their projects in Mathematics and Science and Technology. c.They took two hours to get to the peak of the mountain. |
2.The subject is the activity. activity + take (+ person) + infinitive |
Examples a.Reading the novel took me a week to finish it. b.Playing violin well took him years to practice. c.Planting fruits and vegetables take a lot of time. |
3. The object of the activity is the subject. object of the activity + take (+person) + infinitive |
Examples a.It took him three hours to arrive in the office. b.The house will take a year to finish. c.The ferryboat took the passengers an hour to unload. |
4.The subject is the preparatory “IT” It + take ( + person ) + time + infinitive) |
a.It took my mother only thirty minutes to cook my favorite dish. b.It takes ages to finish watching the episodes of the anime series that I like. c.It takes an hour for me to go to my office. |
5.Before/ Until is used. It + take (+ person ) + time + before/until |
Examples a.It took my cousin half the year before/ until she felt at ease with her new environment. b.It took her two hours before/until she decided on what type of clothing she will buy. c.It takes a person a long time before/until she can have a sexy body. |