using one-third

[Gorkem Atay]

''She run the distance in one-third of the time you did''.

Is the sentence above sensible ?

 

[Barb_D]

I'd delete "of."

 

[Rover_KE]

...and change 'run' to 'ran'.

 

[Barb_D]

That too!

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

I'd change 'run' to 'ran' and I'd reinstate 'of'.

 

[MikeNewYork]

It is interesting that you hate "of" in "off of the table: but prefer it in "one-third of the time". I can take "of" or leave it in both cases. Individual preferences.

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

It's not at all interesting.

The 'of' in 'off of' it is entirely meaningless and in a 'one-third of the time' it isn't.

It would be natural to say 'half the time', but 'half of the time' is fine too.
I think the 'of' is optional in 'one-third of the time'.
For fractions starting with one quarter and smaller it is necessary. 'One-fifth the time' would be wrong, for me that is.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Why does "of" become meaningful with fractions less than one quarter? Is that a rule? These are all personal usage decisions. None of them are "wrong".

 

[Barb_D]

I'm equally mystified about that distinction.

The "of" does seem to be common/uncommon/preferred/rejected/accepted in a number of phrases depending on which side of the Atlantic you're on.

Get off of the bus -- becoming increasingly common and accepted here. The BrE speakers can't seem to avoid commenting on the horror of it.
A couple of times -- seems preferred here, but rejected there
Half the time -- no of, referring to how many seconds, acceptable/preferred here
One-tenth the time -- no of, referring to how many seconds (days, etc.), accepted here.
Half of the time -- with of, referring to 50% of the occurrences, seems required everywhere?

Could this PLEASE not become one of the threads where people snipe back and forth about whose version is correct?

 

[emsr2d2]

I think one of the reasons we BrE users can't help commenting on the horror of "off of" is that for years and years it was drilled into (some of) us that the usage is one of the signs of a poorly-educated or "common" (ie lower class) person. It's up there with "could/would/should of", "ain't" and "We wasn't doing nuffink".