English
Expressions with TIME
In this post, you will learn 10 common English expressions with TIME. Use them in your own natural conversation after you learn with 30 real natural sentence examples. At the end of the post, there is a video for listening practice.
| 10 Common English expressions with TIME |
|---|
| 1. You can spend time. (Use time doing something) |
| 2. You can waste time. (Use time for nothing) |
| 3. Time can be a waste. (Time that is used for nothing) |
| 4. You can value time. |
| 5. You can run out of time. (Have no time left) |
| 6. You can spare time. (Have extra time) |
| 7. Time can be precious. (very important or valuable) |
| 8. You can afford time. (Have time to use.) |
| 9. You can save time. (This is the opposite of waste time.) |
| 10. You can have plenty of time. (Have a lot of time) |
List of 10 common English
expressions with time.
You can spend time. (Use time doing something)
- I spent 3 hours making dinner.
- I really enjoy spending time at home.
- The boss said not to spend any more time on projects that don’t make money.
You can waste time. (Use time for nothing)
- I wasted an hour waiting for her.
- Brian didn’t want to waste time in the morning so he prepared everything he needed before he went to bed.
Time can be a waste. (Time that is used for nothing)
- It’s not worth going. The whole exhibition is a waste of time.
- We stood in line for 30 minutes and then they closed the restaurant! What a waste. (of time)
“Optimism doesn’t wait on facts. It deals with prospects.”
~Norman Cousins
You can value time.
Appreciate [understand] that time is important.
- I value every minute I get to spend with my family.
- We should value the time we have when we are young.
“Until you value yourself, you won’t value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.”
~M. Scott Peck
You can run out of time. (Have no time left)
- I didn’t get the project finished as I would’ve liked. I ran out of time.
- The movie starts in 20 minutes! We have to leave now, we’re running out of time!
You can spare time.
(Have extra time)
- Can you spare a few minutes?
- Hurry! There’s no time to spare!
Time can be precious. (very important or valuable)
- I travel a lot so the time I spend at home is very precious to me.
- Time is precious. After it’s gone we can’t get it back.
“Everything matters. Time is precious.”
~Jessica Hagedorn
You can afford time. (Have time to use.)
This is usually used in the negative ~ can’t afford time ~ and with other time expressions. See examples below
- We can’t afford to spend any more time on this. We have a lot to do today.
- Final exams are in 3 days. I can’t afford to waste time playing video games.
Quickly Improve English Pronunciation – To BE Contractions (+ Video)
You can save time.
(This is the opposite of waste time.)
You give yourself extra time by doing something earlier, faster or better)
- I prepared the old files last night to save time today.
- If we take a shortcut through the park we’ll save time.
“To save time is to lengthen life.”
~Anonymous
You can have plenty of time. (Have a lot of time)
- Let’s focus on our main job today; we’ll have plenty of time to worry about these other things later.
- Mom and Dad won’t be home until 9:30, we have plenty of time to wash the dishes.
Any time vs Anytime
Any time and anytime are both used as adverbs with the meaning – at a time that is not fixed
Example – “I’ll be home all day so you can stop by anytime you like.”
oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com
How and when to use any time and anytime
From Grammarly.com
As an adverb: either any time or anytime
As a conjunction: either any time or anytime
With a preposition: use any time
When discussing an amount of time: use any time
Adverb:
- Stop by anytime you like. OK
- Stop by any time you like. OK
Conjunction:
- Anytime the night sky was clear, we could see thousands of stars. OK
- Any time the night sky was clear, we could see thousands of stars. OK
With a preposition:
Anytimeof the day is fine. One word NG- Any time of the day is fine. OK
Talking about an amount of time:
- We should study together. Do you have
anytimetomorrow? One word NG - We should study together. Do you have any time tomorrow? OK
If you’re not sure if you should use the one-word or two-word version, it’s usually safe to use the two-word version, “any time.” It will work in most sentences.
Watch the video below
Review these expressions and improve your listening skills.
Learn more ways to use time at Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries HERE
