For the longest time

[AskLang]

For the longest time that we knew each other only now did I know where she lived.

Hi! again,

Is for the longest time correct for this kind of context?

Thanks very much!

 

[panjandrum]

I don't think it is.
I don't know what the sentence means.

 

[AskLang]

I don't think it is.
I don't know what the sentence means.

Hi! Panj. Thank you.
The meaning of my sentence is: Not until now, you didn’t know where she lived though you've known each other for quite some time.
Is there a way my original sentence can improve?

 

[Harry Batt]

The sentence calls for "even though" as a subordinating conjunction. I prefer to place it at the beginning of the sentence.

Even though I had known her for the longest time, I didn't know where she lived.

 

[panjandrum]

The sentence calls for "even though" as a subordinating conjunction. I prefer to place it at the beginning of the sentence.

Even though I had known her for the longest time, I didn't know where she lived.

Ah ... that kind of "for the longest time" - a kind of rhetorical superlative meaning "for a very, very long time".
I hadn't thought of that.

 

[AskLang]

So, does it make sense if I begin my sentence with
For the longest time, like I did in my original sentence then?

 

[panjandrum]

So, does it make sense if I begin my sentence with
For the longest time, like I did in my original sentence then?

I don't think so. Harry Batt's sentence is a different structure, supporting this rather different meaning of "for the longest time".
The original sentence still makes me wonder how you knew each other for several different "times", one of which is the longest times. This doesn't make sense to me.

 

[AskLang]

I see.. I'll try and analyze again the type of sentence structure I have in mind and come back later for clarification

Thank you!

 

[AskLang]

It's a bit messy this sentence.

Here's how I would interpret it;

For the length of time we knew one another (could be each other also), (<comma) it was only until now did I find where she lives.

On its own looks like:

For the length of time we knew one another, it was only until now did I find where she lives.

To spice it up, instead of using Lives (as that's used in the middle of sentences more) could be to replace "where she lives" at the end of the sentence with "her place of residency". Also replace find with learn as essentially that's what you're doing.

For the length of time we knew one another, it was only until now did I learn her place of residency.

I'm sure there are many other variations which correspond to the way you structure the sentence and the context it is in.

But this confusion can be avoided when you use other structures, it may take longer but the result is clearer.

"We knew each other for awhile, but I never knew where she actually lived until today."

I think that's it.. AlivPaa thanks so much for your help!
However though, can I shorten the next phrase to - only now did I find where she lives. ?

 

[AlivPaa]

I think that's it.. AlivPaa thanks so much for your help!
However though, can I shorten the next phrase to - only now did I find where she lives. ?

you can but to all words in the sentence which corrisponds to that word, would need to change.

Anotherwords, change that word, then the rest may not make sense as they depended on it.

So as you were asking,
For the length of time that we knew one another, only now was i to find where she lives.

Sorry i forgot to add "that" after "For the length of" and before "we knew one another"

I guess its down to how it sounds. It will always be grammatically correct if there is no confliction and you get across all the information you intend to say right. Although people say that they prefer this or that which is more down to the way they learned.

 

[shawnee]

Here's a couple more for what they're worth.
1. We've known each other for so long, yet it is only now that I learn where you live.
2. Isn't it strange that we've known each other for so long, and I've only just realised/learnt where you live.

 

[AskLang]

Thank you guys!