What's the difference between "How long are you trapped FOR the last time?" versus "How long are you trapped the last time?" This is a question from a dialogue between two persons who are stuck in an elevator. I can't seem to understand why FOR was added after trapped...
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If he's still trapped he likely doesn't know how long.– Hot LicksCommented Jun 3, 2016 at 12:19
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1 Answer
There is no difference in meaning, but the sentence has another problem.
If you're talking about an event in the past, you want to use were instead of are. 'Are' would imply the person is currently trapped, but saying "the last time" makes it clear the event has passed. So, the sentence should read either:
"How long were you trapped the last time?"
OR
"How long were you trapped for the last time?"
Finally, if you are talking about about a trap currently ongoing (e.g. "How long are you grounded?"), adding 'for' again makes no difference to meaning, and you'd be free to use it/drop it from the sentence ("How long are you grounded for?") as you see fit, although the second is a bit less common, as it is not usual to end a sentence with a preposition.
See: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/ending-a-sentence-with-a-preposition
answered Jun 3, 2016 at 12:14
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Actually, "How long were you trapped for the last time?" suggests that the respondent somehow knows that it was the last (of several) "trappings", or it suggests that the interrogator is losing his temper. Dropping "for" eliminates these possible interpretations. Commented Jun 3, 2016 at 22:28
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I would argue that those possible interpretations (foreknowledge of number of trappings) still exists regardless of which of the two phrasings is used - it's the "last time" part that is most suspect there. But I can see what you mean. Commented Jun 4, 2016 at 13:35