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分と間とくらいの使い方

5 May 2013
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I have noticed that sentences exist both that do and that don't use 間 when talking about time. E.g.,

20分勉強しました
20分間勉強しました
20分くらい勉強しました
20分間くらい勉強しました

20分かかります
20分間かかります
20分くらいかかります
20分かかります

I believe all of these are valid sentences, or at least valid phrases in larger sentences, but I'm not sure what decides when 間 is and isn't used. Does it have to do with politeness, perhaps? Does the verb that goes with the time make a difference? Does using a modifier like くらい change how likely it is to drop the 間?

Also, is there ever a time 間 is not used to express a duration of time with 時?
It's very often essential because otherwise you would read it as a time of day, but there are durations and verbs where that's not true, e.g.,
72時間続けました
2時間かかります
There can't be a "72 o'clock", and it doesn't make sense to something will take "2 o'clock" to happen.
Still, even though it's unambiguous I think the 間 might still be required just because it's hours?
 
間 is necessary for 時 "hour", and almost always necessary for 週 "week". (二週にわたって or 三週に一度 are possible, but these usages don't simply refer to time length.) It's optional for other temporal periods (秒, 分, 日, か月, 年), but 間 is not used at the end for "時間 + 分/秒" (e.g. 1時間20分かかった).

I believe all of these are valid sentences, or at least valid phrases in larger sentences, but I'm not sure what decides when 間 is and isn't used. Does it have to do with politeness, perhaps? Does the verb that goes with the time make a difference? Does using a modifier like くらい change how likely it is to drop the 間?
I think there's no difference whether 間 is added or not. くらい can make it sound soft, though.
 
なるほど…

I guess having only a simple rule to follow and most times being optional should make it easier for me!

ありがとうございました。

間 is not used at the end for "時間 + 分/秒" (e.g. 1時間20分かかった)
This makes sense, because there is already a 間 in the middle of the time expression. That inside 間 is surely required though, just like a plain hours expression (eg. 4時間), right?
 
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