two hours long

USAGE SUMMARY

"two hours long" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it when referring to a length of time. For example: "The meeting is scheduled to last two hours long."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

56 human-written examples

Each part was two hours long.

The New York Times

It's about two hours long!

The Guardian - Film

Gas lines were two hours long.

The Washington Post

Underworld was more than two hours long.

The Guardian - Film

The recap is two hours long.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Both shows are two hours long.

The New York Times

It's a patience-testing two hours long.

The Guardian - Music

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

4 human-written examples

This required extended practice problems and discussions during the two hour long weekly open labs.

Columbia University

How can you compare a two hour long Tea Party rally to an OCCUPATION?

University of California, Berkeley

The keyboard in that two hour long Ford commercial from Sunday night?

TechCrunch

It was three hours long.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing the duration of an event, specify whether the stated time includes intermissions or breaks for accurate planning.

Common error

Avoid redundancy by choosing either "two-hour" (e.g., "a two-hour meeting") or "two hours long" (e.g., "the meeting is two hours long"), but not combining both forms, as it can sound awkward.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "two hours long" functions as an adjectival phrase modifying a noun. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is considered grammatically correct, as evidenced by numerous examples demonstrating its proper usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Academia

14%

Science

11%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "two hours long" is a grammatically correct and very common adjectival phrase used to describe the duration of an event or item. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and provides numerous examples across various contexts, including news, academia, and science. While the phrase is versatile, be mindful of potential redundancy by avoiding combinations like "a two hours long meeting." Alternative phrases such as "lasting two hours" or "a two-hour duration" can offer variety. Remember to clarify if the stated time includes intermissions or breaks for clearer communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

lasting two hours

Replaces the adjective 'long' with a verb phrase 'lasting two hours'.

a two-hour duration

Changes the structure to use 'duration' as a noun and 'two-hour' as a compound adjective.

spanning two hours

Similar to "lasting two hours", it emphasizes the time period covered.

with a two-hour length

Uses 'length' as a noun to describe the duration, with "two-hour" acting as an adjective.

of two hours in length

Similar to "with a two-hour length", but rephrased with a different prepositional phrase.

having a two-hour runtime

Commonly used when referring to movies or events, 'runtime' specifies the duration.

taking two hours

Focuses on the amount of time needed or consumed.

extending for two hours

Indicates a duration by describing the act of extending.

a period of two hours

More formal, using 'period' to define the length of time.

two hours in duration

Rephrases with 'duration' at the end, indicating how long something lasts.

FAQs

How can I use "two hours long" in a sentence?

You can use "two hours long" to describe the duration of an event, such as "The movie is "two hours long"" or "The meeting lasted "two hours long"".

What's a simpler way to say "two hours long"?

A simpler way is to use "two-hour" as an adjective before the noun, such as "a two-hour movie" or "a two-hour meeting".

Is it grammatically correct to say "a two hours long meeting"?

No, it is not grammatically correct. The correct phrasing would be "a two-hour meeting" or "a meeting that is "two hours long"".

What is the difference between saying "the movie is two hours long" and "the movie lasts two hours"?

Both phrases are grammatically correct and convey the same meaning. "The movie is "two hours long"" describes the duration as a characteristic, while "the movie lasts "two hours"" emphasizes the time the movie takes.