Difference between time and duration

[Stone]

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #45 "Speaking: At the Supermarket", question 7

We have to inform our customers that the store will be closing in half an hour's ..........

(a) o'clock
(b) time
(c) hour
(d) duration

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #45 "Speaking: At the Supermarket", answer 7

We have to inform our customers that the store will be closing in half an hour's time.

Correct answer: (b) time

Your answer was: incorrect
We have to inform our customers that the store will be closing in half an hour's duration.
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Mr Alan

Would you explain the difference between "time" and "duration" here?

Thanks a lot in advance

Stone

[Alan]

Hi Stone,

Time is a general word than can be a period or indeed give details of the hours of the day. Duration is a word describing a defined period of time.

Look at these:

During the time (not a defined period) I lived in the country I managed to learn the language.

Throughout the duration (describing the period from start to finish)of my stay I didn't manage to understand the language.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story A funny thing happened...

[Conchita]

[Alan]

Hi Conchita,

To me both in half an hour and in half an hour's time are as good as each other. I suppose I chose in half an hour's time in this sentence to suggest someone speaking officially - making it sound slightly more authoritative. It's like the friendly invigilator in an examination who says: Well, you've got half an hour left. And then there would be the po-faced invigilator who would say: The examination will conclude in half an hour's time.

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Indirect Speech

[Conchita]