"It takes a lot of time." vs "It takes up a lot of time."

Question

"It takes a lot of time." vs "It takes up a lot of time."

Both phrases are correct, but they have slightly different meanings. 'It takes a lot of time' simply means that something requires a significant amount of time to complete. On the other hand, 'It takes up a lot of time' implies that something is occupying or consuming a large amount of time.

Last Updated: March 24, 2024

This phrase is used to indicate that something requires a significant amount of time to complete.

Examples:

Studying for the exam takes a lot of time.
Cooking a homemade meal from scratch takes a lot of time.
Learning a new language takes a lot of time.
Writing a novel takes a lot of time.
Building a house takes a lot of time.

Alternatives:

It requires a lot of time.
It demands a lot of time.
It needs a lot of time.
It consumes a lot of time.
It involves a lot of time.

This phrase is used to indicate that something is occupying or consuming a large amount of time.

Examples:

His new hobby takes up a lot of time.
The daily commute takes up a lot of time.
The project at work takes up a lot of time.
Volunteering at the shelter takes up a lot of time.
Managing a large team takes up a lot of time.

Alternatives:

It occupies a lot of time.
It consumes a lot of time.
It uses a lot of time.
It requires a lot of time.
It demands a lot of time.

Answer 1

It takes a lot of time.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

Answer 2

It takes up a lot of time.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"It takes a lot of time." vs "It takes up a lot of time."

It takes a lot of time.

It takes up a lot of time.

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