'The most time' vs 'most of the time'

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Dear All,

I am wondering Which one is more correct and meaning?
Here is my question
" The most time " vs “most of the time”

Thanks for paying and reading my post.

Best Regards,

2

I can’t think of any context where ‘the most time’ would be correct.

‘Most of the time’ is meaningful though.

3

Thanks for your comment.

It question came out because My friend and I have different opinion about this issue.
In my opinion, I spend the most time to do something it means I just do one thing, but I spend most of the time to do something it means I do more than one thing. although I focus to do one thing.

However, my friend insist to say we just only use “most of the time” instead of “the most time”. I think it is incorrect So I posted my question.

If I make a mistake on this grammar, Please help me to clarify.

Thanks for reading my post

4

Beeesneees,
Is this sentence wrong?
“Players spend the most time in the field.”

5

Yes, it’s wrong.

My guess is that you mean
Players spend most of their time on the field.

6

You could use ‘the most time’ in this context: The most time you should spend on this job is three hours. That means that 3 hours is the maximum amount of time necessary to do that job.

‘Most of the time’ suggests a greater amount of time within a certain period as in: When we were away on hoiday we spent very little time in the hotel because most of the time we were on the beach or swimming in the sea.

7

I agree that would work as a rather inelegant alternative to ‘the maximum amount of time you should spend on this job…’

8

Thanks all comments.

So We use “the most time” If the time is particular time and most of the time when we considers the general time. It is correct ?

Thank for paying your attention on my post

9

That rule doesn’t work.

You can only use ‘the most time’ (you should do something) when you mean ‘the maximum amount of time’ (you should do something).

Otherwise you should always use ‘most of the time’.

‘Time’ does not refer to a specific time of day, year, etc.

10

Thank for your comment.

If I say “I spend the most time on this job in three hours” Is this correct ? If it is incorrect, Please help me to make it right !

Thank you so much

11

No, that doesn’t work at all.
Perhaps you mean:
The time I spend on this job is three hours, which would be better phrased more simply: I spend three hours on this job.
or perhaps you mean:
‘The most time I spend on this job is three hours’ which would be better recast as ‘The longest (time) I spend doing this job is three hours.’

12

Hi Khanhphamqn,

I think more examples of these two constructions might help. ‘The most + noun’ is in a sense a superlative form of ‘more + noun’ and therefore suggests that there is nothing greater in terms of quantity/amount. And of course you can use it with any noun you like:

That is the most money I have ever spent on a car - that means that I have never spent more money than that.

‘Most of + noun’ suggests a large part of something but not the maximum part of something:

Most of the day he spends going out on visits to clients and not sitting in his office - that means that he is in his office some of the day and the greater part of the day he is visiting clients.

Alan