TextRanch

The best way to perfect your writing.

Discover why 1,062,726 users count on TextRanch to get their English corrected!

1. Input your text below.
2. Get it corrected in a few minutes by our editors.
3. Improve your English!

One of our experts will correct your English.

I’m afraid, it took a long time. vs I'm afraid it took a long time.

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. The first phrase, 'I’m afraid, it took a long time,' is used when expressing concern or regret before stating a fact. The second phrase, 'I'm afraid it took a long time,' is used when expressing regret or apology for something that has already happened.

Last updated: March 15, 2024 • 814 views

I’m afraid, it took a long time.

This phrase is correct and commonly used when expressing concern or regret before stating a fact.

This phrase is used to express concern or regret before stating a fact. The comma after 'afraid' indicates a pause for emphasis.

Examples:

I’m afraid, it’s not going to work out as we planned.
I’m afraid, she won’t be able to make it to the meeting.
I’m afraid, the project deadline has been missed.

Show examples from the web [+]

Jul 22, 2012 ... I'm afraid it took a long time for me to get a diagnosis which unfortunately is not uncommon. All in all it probably took 10 months from developing ...

Alternatives:

I’m afraid that it took a long time.
I’m afraid it took a long time.
I’m afraid, it has taken a long time.
I’m afraid, it will take a long time.
I’m afraid, it is taking a long time.

I'm afraid it took a long time.

This phrase is correct and commonly used when expressing regret or apology for something that has already happened.

This phrase is used to express regret or apology for something that has already happened. The absence of a comma indicates a direct statement.

Examples:

I'm afraid it took longer than expected.
I'm afraid it took a long time to find the right solution.
I'm afraid it took a long time to complete the task.

Show examples from the web [+]

Jul 22, 2012 ... I'm afraid it took a long time for me to get a diagnosis which unfortunately is not uncommon. All in all it probably took 10 months from developing ...

Alternatives:

I'm afraid that it took a long time.
I'm afraid, it took a long time.
I'm afraid, it has taken a long time.
I'm afraid, it will take a long time.
I'm afraid, it is taking a long time.

Related Comparisons

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9).

"Thank you!"
Sachi Nakama July 2024
"I have literally been through chat, PI, claude, bard and bing and I got conflicting answers! Thank you! Human intelligence reigns!"
Retha July 2024
"Faster than AI"
CYNTHIA December 2023
"This was very helpful and I personally think this site is the best."
Kaden October 2023
"It was extremely thorough and very helpful!"
imperialelisa October 2023
"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"
Zubair Alam October 2023
"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."
Selena October 2023
"Without textranch I would be stuck!"
宏祐 October 2023
"Accuracy and fast response. Personal comments from editor. Thank you."
Clh September 2023
"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"
Arturo September 2023
"The fact that you can get reliable fast feedback on your texts."
Vinicius Antonio August 2023
"you guys are better than grammarly i'm being honest here"
ordinary July 2023
"OMG! This is really good than any other text correction tools I've used so far. Highly recommend this."
Vehan July 2023
"Very fast and accurate. thank you."
mojtaba July 2023
"I love this app because it's help to writing skills all of students ♥️"
Tarisini July 2023
"This was exactly the mistake I was looking for, the wording dind´t sound right at first. Better than grammarly!"
Ente July 2023
"The immediate help that I received was reassuring and very satisfactory. Thanks."
priiiyanshuu July 2023
"this helps A LOT for my studies."
kathnunez02 June 2023
"Woow!! I would never have expected such precision! Thank you soooo much!!"
Berta June 2023
"Real Time Editor and not AI. Many Thanks."
Priya June 2023
"The very first thing excites me about Textranch is how much your editors care."
sepideh June 2023
"The fact that texts are checked by human editors rather than by AI, etc. I appreciate this!"
Анна June 2023
"Feel welcome, immediate response, high quality feedback"
martin.roy June 2023
"This is the best app that I have ever seen"
Burulai May 2023

Why choose TextRanch?

Lowest prices
Up to 50% lower than other online editing sites.

Fastest Times
Our team of editors is working for you 24/7.

Qualified Editors
Native English experts for UK or US English.

Top Customer Service
We are here to help. Satisfaction guaranteed!