You’re reading this because you want to learn English.
Some of the most used phrases in English are idioms and collocations. Collocation refers to a group of words that often go together.
I have taught about the importance of using collocations in my recent videos. Click here to learn more.
Well, the good news is that you’re about to learn different examples of idioms and collocations related to time. These can be easily used in everyday conversation!
Watch the lesson, read the article, and start implementing these learning strategies today:
1: It’s Time To or It’s Nearly Time To
This means that we need to do something or it’s the right time to do something at the moment.
Examples:
- It’s time to go. – You might be at a party and your children don’t want to leave, you can use this!
- It’s time I started exercising. – It means I need to start exercising, right now.
- It’s time you stopped smoking. – It can also be used as advice in a direct way.
- It’s about time! – This means that “it” should have happened sooner.
Sample Dialogues:
A: “How did the game go?”
B: “We won 2-1!”
A: “It’s about time you haven’t won for ages!”
A: “Guess what, we’re getting married.”
B: “It’s about time!”
2: On Time
This simply means that you are not late.
Examples:
- I always try to be on time.
- I might not always be there when you call but I am always on time.
- Be sure that you’re on time for that interview.
- Trains in the U.K. are hardly ever on time.”
Here’s another variation of this collocation: right on time. This means on time but JUST!
Examples:
- I was rushing to that interview, but I got there right on time.
- I think we’ll be there right on time.
3: Take Time or Take Your Time
This means no rush, no need to rush, just take your time.
Like what I said from my previous lesson about input:
- “Writing is a great skill to practice your output because you can take your time, there’s no need to rush.”
- “When leaving comments below take your time to ensure that you get your sentences correct.”
4: Take Time Off
This simply means to not go to work.
Examples:
- I’m gonna take a little bit of time off next week so, don’t expect me to reply to emails straight away.
- I think you need to take a little bit of time off because you seem very stressed at the moment.
5: Make Time For
This means to dedicate time to someone or something.
Examples:
- That new project is taking over everything, right now you need to make a little bit of time for me as well.
- I need to make some time for studying this week maybe I’ll take some time off work on Friday.
6: Free Time or Spare Time
This is the time you have after work or school. The time you have to dedicate for hobbies or interests.
Examples:
- What do you like to do in your free time?
- I don’t have a lot of spare time at the moment that’s why I’m not exercising enough.”
7: Have Time
We use this when we’re talking about dedicating time to a specific thing.
Examples:
- I don’t have enough time to study right now.
- I don’t have enough time to get speaking practice.
8: Have A Good/Great Time
This means to enjoy yourself, to make the most out of what you’re going to do with your time.
Examples:
A: “I’m just setting off for a wedding right now can we meet up next week?”
B: “Yeah, sure. Have a great time!”
“Have a great time tonight!”
9: Save Time
This means to be more efficient with what you do.
Examples:
- Let’s cut down on meetings to save some time. – “let’s cut down on something(usually something unnecessary)” means let’s reduce them to save time
- My new robot vacuum cleaner has saved me a lot of time because I don’t have to vacuum as much anymore.
10: Waste Time
This is the opposite of “save time”. It means to spend your time in an unproductive manner. Don’t worry, this is something natural. We all waste time, sometimes.
Examples:
- I waste a lot of time watching stupid videos on YouTube.
- Some people say playing computer games is a waste of time.
11: Spend Time
To spend time doing something. This just means what you do with your time.
Examples:
- He spends a lot of time working out.
- I spend too much time worrying about stupid things.
- How much time do you spend listening to Podcasts?
Idioms with the Word TIME
1. Buy Time
This simply means to delay something.
Here’s a sample scenario:
Maybe you’re in a bad situation. Let’s say you owe some money to somebody and you can say to your partner “Let’s try and buy some time.” Give a reason why you cannot pay it now, so you have extra time to pay it back later.
Another example is “We need to buy some time.”
2: Be In The Right Place At The Right Time
This is used a lot in sports, like football. But of course, it could just mean anything in life as well. It simply means you are at a location where something good is about to happen at just the time of its occurrence.
Examples:
- Strikers need to be in the right place at the right time in order to score a goal.
- It’s important to be in the right place at the right time.
3. Time Flies
Time goes by quickly when you are having a good time.
The best example is “Time flies when you’re having fun.”
4. Time Is Money
This is a common idiom that people use when we’re talking about how to spend your time wisely and not waste it. Time is a valuable resource and should not be wasted!
Example:
- If you are paid hourly, then you know that time is money.
FINAL THOUGHTS
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