Time Phrases
We always talk about time in our everyday conversations. “Please be on time! Don’t be late!” “Dinner is at 8 pm.” “My parents will come home at night.” “In the morning, I find it really hard to wake up for school.” “The
school holidays will be in three
weeks’ time!”
Besides everyday conversations, there are also special occasions when we
need to use time.
In the world today, we might not always receive invitation cards to
parties. Party invitations might be sent in a text message instead. Even so, it’s
probably still important to know how to express time so that everyone will turn
up for the parties at the right time! The example below could be on an actual
invitation card or even typed in a text message. Look at all the expressions of
time.
You’re invited to my birthday party!
It is on 10 October, from
2.30 pm to 5 pm.
As the party is on Tuesday, there will be a bus to
take everyone to my house after school.
I hope to see you there!
|
Whether we are talking about special occasions or everyday events, we
often talk about time. It is important to use the correct words when we talk
about time so that others will understand what we mean.
This is an important grammar item in the Grammar MCQ section, Grammar
Cloze section, Editing section and also Visual Text section of Paper 2 of the
PSLE English paper. It is also important in the Situational Writing section of
Paper 1 of the PSLE English paper.
on
on time on the dot on Wednesday on Friday afternoon on 12 June (British) on June 12 (American) on my birthday on New Year’s Eve |
at
at 9 o’clock at 7.30 pm at midnight at night at breakfast at bedtime at Christmas at the end of March at the same time |
in
in the morning in the evening in the afternoon in the day in January in spring in 2018 in the 1990s in the past in the future in a moment in three weeks’ time in a few minutes |
There are some other words that could be easily confused.
by
All entries
must reach us by 12 June.
(This means
that entries after 12 June will not be accepted. They must reach the organisers
before 12 June and the last day for entries to reach the organisers is 12 June.
The entries must not reach the organisers later than 12 June.)
until
The students
stayed in the library until 9 pm.
(This means
that the students only left at 9 pm. They did not leave before 9 pm or after 9
pm.)
Here are some words
that go together.
from…to
I worked from 8
am to 6 pm.
The exhibition
hall will be open from 10 am to 10 pm.
I stayed with
my grandparents from March to June last year.
between…and
If you arrive
between noon and 5 pm, the office will still be open for registration.
Let’s Practise
Fill in the blanks with the correct
words.
1. Do you ever wonder why Cinderella was
told to leave the ball _________ midnight?
2. We are leaving for Tokyo _________
Thursday.
3. The park is not at its most beautiful _________
spring but _________ autumn.
4. If I save some of my pocket money every
month, I will have enough to take a short trip overseas _________ the end of
the year.
5. _________ Christmas, my family members
will gather to have a feast.
6. If you cannot make it _________ 15
November, will you be able to make it anytime _________ December?
7. All the workers in this factory must
work from 9 pm _________ 5 pm every day.
8. The park is very crowded _________ the
morning but _________ night, there is hardly anyone there.
9. The restaurant is very crowded _________
11 am and 2 pm every weekend.
10.
If
you are not _________ time, you will miss the ferry.
Answers
1. at
2. on
3. in, in
4. at/by
5. At
6. on, in
7. to
8. in, at
9. between
10. on
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