late by two hours

[joham]

'The plane was two hours late' is good English, but do native speakers also say 'The plane was late by two hours' and does it sound natural?

Thank you in advance.

 

[5jj]

'The plane was two hours late' is good English, but do native speakers also say 'The plane was late by two hours' and does it sound natural?

We can say it. It is more emphatic than the first sentence, in my opinion.

 

[Amigos4]

'The plane was two hours late' is good English, but do native speakers also say 'The plane was late by two hours' and does it sound natural?

Thank you in advance.

'The plane was two hours late' is common usage in AmE. 'The plane was late by two hours' is correct but is not used as frequently as the first sentence.

 

[BobK]

We can say it. It is more emphatic than the first sentence, in my opinion.

:up: ...Usually. But when it's just adding extra information, as an afterthought, it doesn't have to be emphatic: 'The plane was late... by two hours' (though that sort of afterthought may convey emphasis).

b