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Grammar vocabulary for the week
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Time

Table 8
0
Expression
Meaning
Example
1
As time goes by
As the time passes
As time goes by I have become more aware of the necessity to preserve our planet.
2
Ahead of time
In advance, before the set time
If I finish the project ahead of time I'll be able to focus on the presentation.
3
Behind the times
Be old-fashioned; have ideas that are out of date
The way he runs his coffee shop is completely behind the times.
4
By the time
Before reaching the time when something happens (with no specific time mentioned).
By the time Julie arrived at the station the train had left.
5
By this time
Similar to 'before now'. At some time before the present moment (a specific time).
Look at the time! It's midnight. By this time I'm usually asleep in bed!
6
By that time
Similar to 'before then'. Before a specific time in the past or the future.
- Past: Julie arrived at the station at 11.15, but by that time the train had left. - Future: What will I be doing in 2070? Not much because by that time I'll be an old man!
7
Do/serve time
Spend time in prison
He's doing time for a bank robbery.
8
For the time being
For the moment; temporarily
Laura has left John and is living with her parents for the time being.
9
Have the time of your life
Enjoy yourself very much
The kids had the time of their lives at Disneyland.
10
High time
Past the appropriate time
It's high time you got out of bed!.
11
In the nick of time/
Just in time
At the last minute, before it's too late
We arrived in the nick of time. The bus was about to leave!
12
Make time
Find the time to do something
It's important to make time for your family.
13
Matter of time
Not long before something happens
It's only a matter of time before the company is taken over.
14
Pass the time
Occupy yourself while waiting
The train was late so I made some phone calls to pass the time.
15
Pressed for time
Need to hurry
How long will it take? I'm really pressed for time.
16
Race against time
Have to work quickly to get something done before a set time
It was a race against time to get everything ready for the inauguration.
17
Run out of time
Have no time left
Paul ran out of time and had to finish the test quickly.
18
Save time
Do something the quickest way
We'll save time if we go through the park.
19
Short of time
Not have much time
I'll be brief because we're short of time.
20
Spend time
Pass time doing something
How much time do you spend on your homework?
There are no rows in this table
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Idioms

time flies
This common idiom means that time passes quickly.
'Time flies when you are having fun.'
in the nick of time
This expression means that you arrive or finish something just before it is too late. At the last possible moment.
'My team scored in the nick of time. The game was in the last few seconds.'
turn back the hands of time
To turn back the hands of time means to go back to the past.
'If I could turn back the hands of time, I wouldn't have done what I did.'
save time
We save time when we do something the quick way.
'We will save time if we drive instead of taking the bus.'
spare time
In natural English, spare time has the same meaning as free time. The things we do when we are not busy with work or study, for example.
'In my spare time I like to learn English.'
as time goes by
As time goes by means as time passes or moves. The passing of time.
'As time has gone by I have become less interested in going to nightclubs on the weekends.'
out of time
Out of time means that there is no more time left to do something. The time limit or deadline has been reached.
'Please stop writing. You are out of time. The exam has finished.'
make time
To make time means to find the time to do something. We have to clear some time in our schedules to do something.
'I know that you are busy, but you will have to make time to attend the meeting.'
time for a change
Time for a change means to stop what you are doing and start doing something else with your life.
'After working in the same job for 5 years, I now feel like it is time for a change.'
time is money
The famous expression time is money means that your time is a valuable commodity.
'I can't wait here all day. Time is money, you know?'
time heals all wounds
Time heals all wounds means that our feelings of hurt will leave us time passes by. This expression usually refers to emotional hurts and not physical ones.
'I was sad for a long time after I broke up with my boyfriend, but time heals all wounds. I'm fine now.'
only time will tell
Only time will tell means that we can not find out the truth or the answer yet. We will have to wait and then we will find out in the future.
'Will we ever have peace in the world? Only time will tell.'
kill time
To kill time means to do something that is not very interesting or important to pass time. We usually use to kill time when we are waiting for something that will take place later.
'We've got 4 hours until our flight leaves. What are we going to do until then? How are we going to kill time?'
time after time
When something happens or is done time after time it means that it happens again and again. The action repeats.

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