6.71 specific distances

The place where an action occurs, or where someone or something is, can also be indicated by stating its distance from another object or place.

You can mention the actual distance before a prepositional phrase with 'from' or 'away from'.

• Here he sat on the terrace a few feet from the roaring traffic.
• The ball swerved two feet away from her to lodge in the net.

Distance can also be expressed in terms of the time taken to travel it.

• It is half an hour from the Pinewood Studios and forty-five minutes from London.
• They lived only two or three days away from Juffure.

The method of travelling can be stated to be even more precise.

• It is less than an hour's drive from here.
• It's about five minutes' walk from the bus stop.