Meaning of: "I would like a roommate who is around much of the time"

Question

I am trying to complete housing application; I have to answer either True or False to this one: "I would like a roommate who is around much of the time." Does "a roommate who is around much of the time" means a roommate who stays in the room most of the time?

Answer 1

I don't think so.

According to the Oxford Dictionary

around

5. Present, living, in the vicinity, or in active use.

I think that it means that such roommate is most of the time at home, but not explicitly in his room. He could be in the shared spaces, in the kitchen, using the bathroom ... He would be there if you need him for something but if you want to be alone (or just with your couple) in the flat or apartment from time to time probably you should select "false".

Answer 2

One might argue that there is a difference between "most of the time" and "much of the time". The latter just means that the person is around a lot, whereas "most" is superlative and means "the majority of the time". If you're the type of person who requires peace and quiet in order to study, I'd give a negative answer to the question, because if your roommate is around a lot of the time, they might distract you from your studies.