[形容词,可分级的:long,longer,longest]描写长度,short的反义词:I'ts a long way to Tipperary.
Today is the longest day of the year.
[副词]很长一段时间: I can't stay long. How long have you been married?
语法结构
1 how long | + is/was等| + 名词短语 | + ?
How long is a stick insect?
询问事物的长度，即使东西很短也这么问.(其他采用这种结构的常见的形容词有:big,high,old,wide,deep,hot,heavy,thick.)
2 [数量] | + long
A tennis court is 24 metres long and 11 metres wide.
给出事物的尺寸。（其他的形容词有:old,tall,deep,high,thick,wide,square）
3 how long | + 动词 | + ？
How long have you been living here ? ~ Five years.
How long will you stay in Rome? ~Not long: just two nights.
询问持续的时间长度
4 how long | + does/did/will等 | + it take | + [...] | + 带to的不定式 | + ?
How long does it take to get to work?
How long did it take you to write this book?
询问路程的长短或完成某事所需要的时间等
5 肯定动词 | + (for) a long time
肯定动词 | + too long/long enough/so long
The Curies worked together for a long time.
We've known each other a long time.
You've been on the phone too long.
I've waited long enough.Now I'm leaving.
It's been so long since you last wrote.
表示一段时间
6 否定动词 | + long
问句 | + long ?
It won't take long.
Have you been waiting long?
表示很短的一段时间和询问一段时间。
搭配
最常见的和long连用的动词有:be,look,seem.
Those trousers look a bit long.
The train journey is not as long as it seems.
一些常见的与long连用的名词有: time,way,distance,day,hair和life.
It's a long time since we heard from Julie.
He's got a long way to go as a football coach.
一些常见的与long连用的副词有:really,a bit,fairly,rather,too.
I liked the concert but it was rather long.
It'll take a week or two to repair the DVD.~That's too long.
固定短语
'long time no see'好久不见
很长一段时间之后问候别人的说法
'it's a long story...'说来话长，一言难尽
How did you miss your flight? ~It's a long story.I'd arranged to ...
引导复杂的叙述。
'to cut a long story short...'简而言之,长话短说
...so,to cut a long story short,when I got to the airport....
表示进入正题，开始叙述
long ago=a long time in the past 很久以前
Long ago,when dinosaurs ruled the earth...
at long last 终于
At long last the waiter brought the bill.
表示长时间等待之后的放松。
before long = soon 不久
The bus should arrive before long.
all day/week/year etc. long= the whole day/week/year etc.整天/周/年等
We waited all night long,but she never phoned.
no longer.../not any longer不现
I'm sorry,but we no longer produce that model.
I thought you lived in Leeds.~Not any longer.I moved to London last year.
表示过去发生过但现在不发生的事情
be long = take a long time to get ready 花很长时间
Will dinner be long?
Sit down,I won't be long.
in the long run = not now,but sometime in the furture 不是现在而是将来某个时候;从长远来看
The delay will cost more in the long run.
as long as/so long as... = on condition that 只要...
Can I borrow the car? ~As long as you are back by 12.
I don't care what you do,so long as you are happy.