There are many words and expressions to refer to time. You can use these to sequence events and to make stories and anecdotes more interesting.
The present – permanent
Use the present simple tense to refer to permanent situations in the present.
I now live in a small town.
Nowadays I live in a small town.
These days, I don't have much of a social life.
The present – temporary
Use the present continuous tense to refer to temporary situations in the present.
At present / At the moment I'm living in a small town.
For the time being I'm living in a small town, but I hope to move soon.
Talking about a period of time in the past
My mother started work as a nurse in the 1960s.
In those days she lived in London.
Back then nurses were badly paid.
At that time, nurses lived in special accommodation.
Talking about a single event in the past
At one time she lost her door key and had to stay in a hotel.
On one occasion she nursed the son of a famous politician.
Sequencing events in the past
There are many ways to sequence events in the past. Here are some of the more common ones.
After (in the middle of a sentence)
Afterwards / After that / After a while (at the beginning of a sentence)
Then / Before (in the middle or at the beginning of a sentence)
Before that / Previously / Until then (At the beginning of a sentence)
By the time (in the middle of a sentence followed by a past perfect tense)
By then / by that time (at the beginning of a sentence)
I went shopping after I finished work.
I worked all day in the office. Afterwards / After that, I went shopping.
I went shopping. After a while, I got bored.
I worked before I went shopping.
I went shopping at 6pm. Before that / Previously / Until then I had worked all day in the office.
I worked all day, then I went shopping.
I was desperate to go shopping by the time I had finished work.
I worked until 6pm. By then / By that time, I was glad for the opportunity to go shopping.
Other expressions to refer to the next event in a story
Later on
Before long
At that moment / Suddenly
Meanwhile
At the same time
Simultaneously (a more formal way of saying meanwhile / at the same time)
I worked and then went shopping. Later on I met some friends for pizza.
I waited for a while in the restaurant. Before long, the waiter came up and asked me…
At that moment / Suddenly, I heard the door slam.
Meanwhile / At the same time / Simultaneously my phone started to ring.
People who are no longer "around"
An ex-president = no longer the president: "The ex-president of France is still influential."
A previous / former boss: "A previous boss taught me how to make presentations."
"My former boss now works for a different company."
My late wife = my wife who has died: "My late wife painted watercolours."
41 comments on “Time expressions in English”
good
thanks ….. this very helpful for me..
regards
wakkas
thankz a lot
i will say confidently that i have improved a lot by reading your page. once agian i would like to say thanks to all the concerned guys.
BUT some are not clear and i think you should work on those…
Hi
please give more example about "by the time"
thank you
By the time she got home, the children had already done their homework.
By the time the search party arrived, the survivors had already made a basic shelter.
By the time I got married, I had been living in London for ten years.
Your explanations are very simple and easy to get.Well done Clare!
Fantastic !
A very useful lesson! Thanks!
He is gotten much better.
Is this correct?
I'd say "he has got much better".
Hi Claire…Please correct my following sentences :
By the time I complete my MBA, I will have some experience.
By the time your people will hit the bench, there will be some new projects.
By the time I complete my MBA. I will have gained some experience.
By the time your people hit the beach, there will have been some new projects.
ta! :)
These days, I didn't have much of a social life since I spent much time on polishing my English skill.
Back then, I cannot see my improving of English.
But I will be rewarding later on!
yap, these are very helpful for everyone.thanks
what about currently? and in which present tense we can use it?
for me I always use it in present simple
"I currently work as a farmer"..
We also use it with the present continuous:
"I'm currently studying for a Masters degree."
Hi Clare,
Can you advise me on this sentence. Thanks.
Here are the numbers as stated below: or
Here is the numbers as stated below: ?
Use the first one ("numbers" is a plural word, so you need "are")
Hi Clare
Here are the examples of the sentences that I am dealing with…….pls correct my sentences also.
I used to be a saleslady in clothing store before but since I got married,I am now a housewife.Meanwhile I am happily married with one beautiful daughter…………..
I cooked spaghetti for my family and then suddenly rung the door bell outside the door. at the time when I was opening the door,my dog went outside and barked…………..
i dont know the next paragraph to add more for my sentences…….pls help me.thanks in advance
Hi Clare
Pls correct my sentences…
You have a wonderful family .I would like to meet your family when I get there.Unfortunately, It would be a long time for me again to have a vacation due to my hectic schedule.Meanwhile,I am looking forward to our family reunion in next year.I am rightnow extremely excited to going back home to see all our relatives over there……
thanks you….pls correct me It is greatly appreciated
You have a wonderful family .I would like to meet your family when I get there. Unfortunately, it will be a long time before I have another vacation due to my hectic schedule. Meanwhile, I am looking forward to our family reunion next year. Right now I'm xtremely excited about going back home to see all our relatives over there……
I used to be a saleslady in clothing store before but since I got married, I've been a housewife. Now I am happily married with one beautiful daughter…………..
I cooked spaghetti for my family and then suddenly someone rung the door bell outside the door. While I was opening the door,my dog went outside and barked…………..
In present perfect, aside from for and since is there any word we can use or for and since are the only applicable words?
1. We have known each other for ten years.
2. We have lived in this city since 1995.
how about past perfect? What other words can we use aside from before? Is had always followed by a before-clause?
ex. I had seen him twice before he left.
ex. The train had left before i reached the station.
If you're talking about the period of time with the present perfect, then only since / for can be used.
For the past perfect you can use before, but also for / since
I'd been living there for three years when I met Sam
I'd been living there since the death of my cousin when I met Sam
You don't always need "before" with the past perfect.
I went to school at 6:30 after I had had my breakfast .After wards , I came back my home and drop in my cousin ' house.Unfortunately, he had gone out before I 're there.
Is this correct
I went to school at 6:30 after I had had my breakfast . Afterwards , I came back home and dropped in at my cousin's house. Unfortunately, he had gone out before I got there.
This website is great. I really like it and it's a such a useful website I have ever seen. Thanks for giving us such a wonderful help through this website….
Hi Clare… Will you write some more sentence about "since and for", please… I'll be looking forward for it…
We often use "since" and "for" in the present perfect:
I have lived here since 2006.
I have lived here for three years.
We use "for" to talk about the length of time:
"She's here in London for three weeks to promote her new film."
"I lived in London for two years, then I went to Paris."
I could not understand the difference between by the time and by that time.plz clear it.thanx!
By the time (I left the party, people were dancing on the tables.) You need a phrase after "by the time" and it means "when".
By that time, I was tired and I wanted to go home. "By that time" refers to a specific time you have already mentioned (i.e. the time when I left the party). It means "at that time / moment".
one of my colleague is back in the office after few days .
can I ask him,
Are you have been on vacation?
Is this is correct?
"Have you been on holiday?" Or perhaps "Nice to see you back!"
I went shopping at 6pm. Until then I had worked all day in the office.
or
I went shopping at 6pm. Till then I had worked all day in the office.
What is the difference and which is correct?
Can anyone tell me please?
"Until then I had been working all day in the office" is correct.
Hi calre,
I want ur help to understand the grammer of english it realy very confusing when going to talk with anyone the moment i started talking with some i forgot all the grammer and would speak wrong english due to which i had lost most of my assigment and jobs so request you kindly help me about how to make sentences for past,present and future tense sentences what i always do i mixed up all the three tenses and cant when to used all the tenses while talking to someone.
Have a look at the pages on using tesnes in the grammar section of the site. There are explanations and examples of how to use the different tenses in English.
Hi Clare!
I know yr site in advance and I very like it!
Now I'm very confused. Pls show me what is correct. Thanks in advance.
1. For one year working with her, I found that she has many special skills in the job.
2. I worked with her for one year, I found that…..
Sentence 2 is much clearer.
You could rewrite 1 as:
During the year that I worked with her, I found that…
