How long does it takes -or- how long does it take?
Grammar > “how long does it takes?” vs “how long does it take?”, which is correct?
Published in December 2022
Written by: Mary S., registered English teacher and confirmed dog lover
English grammar can be tricky.
There is no doubt about this.
So how do you write this term the right way?
The correct way to write this is “how long does it take”.
“How long does it takes” is incorrect.
Read on to find out more about the meaning and spelling of this phrase in the English language.
Contents
Meaning of how long does it take
In the English language, it can be tricky to write with the correct grammar. Especially with certain words and phrases.
However with practice and learning the rules, it becomes easy with time.
Let’s first take a look at the meaning of the term.
The dictionary definition of the verb “take” or “to take” is to lay hold of (something) or remove someone or something from a particular place. The definition of “how long” is simply what length or what duration is something, for example a flight/ car trip or what length is your yard.
Now let’s put it together.
The verb “to take” conjugates in the present tense to “takes” in third person singular but to “take” in first and second person singular and all plurals. Therefore it is “he, she or it takes” and “I, you (singular and plural versions) or they take“).
You put this together with do or does. We know that it is “does he, she or it take” and “do I, you or they take”.
So we come to the correct form of this – how long does it take. How long does it takes is not right (and if you sound it out, it does not sound right).
Examples in a sentence
Some examples of “how long does it take” in a sentence found online:
- How long does it take to get from New York to London by plane?
- In Australia, how long does it take to drive from Melbourne to Sydney?
- How long does it take to recover from surgery?
- How long does it take for pain to dry?
- In September, how long does it take for the day to warm up?
- How long does it take to complete a Masters or Bachelor degree?
- How long does it take for Lionel Messi to score a goal in a game at the World Cup?
Note that these are all correct.
Some examples of “how long does it takes” in a sentence we found by searching online:
- How long does it takes to become an accountant?
- How long does it takes to finish a marathon?
- How long does it takes to swim 50 metres butterfly?
- How long does it takes me to get a six pack if I run every day and eat a low carbohydrate diet?
- How long does it takes to become a medical doctor and work in a hospital?
These are all incorrect. To make it correct, you would just remove the s from takes, resulting in “take”.
Popularity of the search term online
Searching for the exact term “how long does it take” yielded over 67 million results on Google in 2023.
Searching for the exact term “how long does it takes” on the same search engine at the same time received a much lower number of results in comparison.
You can see the correct version had more results. This is sometimes a good hint.
Searching for terms like this on a search engine and assessing the number of results (ie the popularity or number of times a particular phrase is written online) is one clue to finding the right way to write or say something.
However, do note, this is not always something you can rely on – in some cases the majority can be wrong as well! Always check good trust worthy language resources.
So how do I write it correctly?
Let’s get it right to summarise.
The correct way to write and say it is “how long does it take”.
Sound it out
Read them out loud.
This is always a good way to remember the right form of words and statements and it gets easier with time.
“How long does it take” – correct and with experience, you will notice it sounds right.
“How long does it take(s)” – incorrect and by reading the statement out loud, you will over time be able to pick up on the inaccuracy as you gain more experience and exposure to the English language.
Reading books or news articles and even out loud is a very useful to get better. I always encourage my students to do this.
Do you make errors when you write or spell in English?
Or do you have any tips to remember how to remember to write these correctly?
Also let me know if there is any other confusing English grammar words you would like us to cover on Compare it Versus.
Leave your opinions and comments in the section below.
References
- Dictionary.com official web page, accessed in December 2022, link to dictionary home page here
- Google search engine for popularity of search terms, search completed in November 2022
Important: We make every effort to ensure the grammar and information on Compare it Versus is accurate and up to date. We pride ourselves that these articles are written by humans and not robots which scrape the net like is commonplace on other sites. Occasionally though, we may get it wrong. If you spot a mistake, please let us know below in a comment or by contacting us so we can correct it. No guarantee is provided as to the accuracy of the information provided on this page – How long does it takes -or- how long does it take?