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Questions tagged [time]

For questions about expressing time in English.

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Meaning of "by the year" and "year - year" format in business

If I would say now I will finish my work by the year 2020. Does it mean I have to finish the work before the year 2020? Last day 31.12.2019 Or it includes even days in 2020? So last day is 31.12....
Johny's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
163 views

Can we use 'was' instead of 'had been' keeping meaning?

Here is two sentences: By 100 AD, the Roman Empire had been defeated. By 100 AD, the Roman Empire was defeated. Is 2nd one going to keep meaning of the 1st one?
R S's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
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"from June onwards" or "from June" or "on June"?

I will be transferred to another branch from June onward. I will be transferred to another branch from June. I will be transferred to another branch on June. Which one is correct?
Tingting's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
7k views

Do I need to say “o’clock”?

Do I need to say “o’clock” after each time? Tell me, please, how to pronounce the following sentence: From 9.00 to 10.00 - registration of conference participants And how to say: From 12.00 - ...
Влад Глушко's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
1k views

Can I say "in the Morning, last Sunday"

When I say like this: I met him last Sunday morning. Can I say alternatively: I met him on last Sunday morning or on the morning of last Sunday or in the morning, last Sunday?
cyrollin's user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
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"What is the probability both houses will be completed after 7 weeks?" meaning

When the question asks if the houses will be completed "after 7 weeks", someone says; it isn't asking if it will take greater than 7 weeks to complete the houses. "After 7 weeks" means "as soon as ...
Min Gu Jeon's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

How to tell the time in written form

It is correct to write four thirty for (4:30am/pm)? I do know that sometimes we will tell the time in that way but is it correct when it comes to writing? Or would it only be correct when we write "...
Jaen39nc's user avatar
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7 votes
4 answers
136k views

"What time...?" or "At what time...?" - what is more grammatically correct?

This question may sound silly, but it has been bugging me for years. If I ask a question about a precise point in time, should I say "What time..." or "At what time..."? For example, At what ...
brilliant's user avatar
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2 answers
13k views

On or at graduation day? [duplicate]

which preposition is correct to use? On graduation day or at graduation day? Thanks.
Taras Kryvko's user avatar
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1 answer
182 views

on the day of the deadline

I have term 31.3. and sentence "Teams are only allowed to have maximum of three games remaining on the day of the deadline." I have question. Deadline is 31.3 00:01 or 31.3 23:59?
Vojta Matras's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
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tense agreement (simple past tense after past perfect tense)

I found this sentence below in a test passage: Less well known at the time was the fact that Freud had found out, almost by accident, how helpful his pet dog Jofi was to his patients. Why is "...
jinnyk216's user avatar
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quarter to five p.m

Can I add a.m and p.m to the time? But I have to write time in phrases. So for example: It's quarter to five p.m. Is that right or not?
Mariya Damyanova's user avatar
1 vote
5 answers
3k views

Which Tense is appropriate to tell Fact Telling in English Past or Simple Present tense?

While introducing someone if I Use past tense sentence is it correct to say or not? a) I joined this company in the year 2005. Reason being I am asking this question is because this is fact which ...
user4084's user avatar
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1 answer
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Articles in 'make time for'

Does anyone know why the phrase 'make time for' uses a zero article for time? I know time is uncountable and most phrases about time use a zero article (spend time, save time, etc), however if the ...
Mary's user avatar
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1 answer
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How would you put three and a half hours in numbers? [closed]

How would you put three and a half hours in numbers?
Sha'nyia's user avatar
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1 answer
953 views

Apostrophes in Time expressions with articles

Reading a book called "English for Academic Research" from A. Wallwork, he mentiones this: The genitive is used when a time period is used adjectivally. 2. The genitive is not used when time ...
John V's user avatar
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Is it fine to use other prepositions other than "in" for months?

In the following sentence (from Duolingo French course): It is windy, in early April. This is the correct answer and I wrote the following: It is windy, at early April. I found this got ...
Blaszard's user avatar
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4 votes
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“Friday I am in love” or “On Friday I am in love”?

The question itself is wider. If I am not mistaken, putting “Friday” in the song title by the Cure means “On Friday”. Can we use it everyday and not only with days of the week but other time markers, ...
Artyom's user avatar
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15 votes
5 answers
6k views

Would it be "went to sleep at one yesterday" or ”...today"?

My brother was saying that is grammatically correct to say he went to sleep at one today because it was after 12 o' clock, but I say it should be he went to sleep at one o'clock yesterday. Which one ...
Starfire's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
1k views

What is the difference of "It is September" and "It is in September"?

What is the difference between these two sentences: It is September. It is in September. There seems a difference, but I don't know it. When to use the one over the other?
Blaszard's user avatar
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"By night", "during night", "at day"… which propositions and articles should be used?

We travelled by night and rested by day. We travelled during night and rested during day. We travelled during the night and rested during the day. We travelled at night and rested at day. #1 is ...
ELU's user avatar
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1 answer
4k views

Is time hyphenated when you spell it out? For example: "It's two-thirty."

My book says: It's two-thirty. It's six-forty. It's five-oh-four. But I found online: It's two thirty. It's six forty. It's five oh four. I don't think people would spell the time like that on ...
Pumpkin cake's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
108 views

Interpretation of adverbial clauses meaning time or condition, such as when, if

I'm learning English with text books, and one of them says tenses of adverbial clauses which means time or condition(such as when-clause or if-clause) depend on the main clauses to which they are ...
Motoki's user avatar
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Since when are you here ? Is it correct?

Is it correct to ask , since when are you here ? I came three hours ago I'm here for 3 house Or I'm here since 10 o'clock . Can I ask this question for someone who is just at that place for 3 house ,...
Omar 's user avatar
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2 answers
4k views

At some point "in future" or "in the future"

Using the is when we refer to something known to the reader or something specific. It is not clear to me how to deal with a word like future. Here is an example: They may get access to the book at ...
None's user avatar
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0 answers
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about equivalent expressions showing the remaining time to a point

In this question, I would like to ask you different ways of expressing time remaining to a specific point, particularly using an example which is a line from a TV drama. And there are several ...
Smart Humanism's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
4k views

What is the difference between 'it's no time', 'it's not time' and 'it's not the time'?

Examples. It's no time to stop believing. It's no time to be unsure. It's not time to make a change, just relax, take it easy. I don't think it's the time to start talking about the future, it's not ...
user2802606's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
88 views

Is the turn of speech "stand: September 16, 2018" correct?

I'm writing on my website: This German / English Word List in Excel contains 1593 German words. If you need more words, you can have my German-English word list with 27449 words (stand: September ...
Eugene Str.'s user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
783 views

she was happy to see her mother

a. She was happy to see her mother. Does this mean a1. She was happy when she saw her mother. a2. She was happy that she'd seen her mother. a3. She was happy that she was going to see her mother. ...
azz's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
3k views

Why is it "half an hour" instead of "a half hour"?

Today our lecturer said that we were gonna have "half an hour" break. Initially I thought it's a mistake and it should be "a half hour" but latter I was told that it's correct. Assuming that it's ...
Virtuous Legend's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
92 views

If "I read the book in five minutes" is to duration, what is "I read the book five minutes ago?"

If duration is the general term for the class of words that reference the time difference between now and the future when an event is finished (i.e. I read the book in five minutes), what is the ...
windsinger's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
5k views

Past Progressive and Simple Past with the Time Clause (While)

While he was taking a shower, his dogs were eating his steaks. (That is the correct sentence according to the website that I visited.) We use the past progressive with the past progressive to show ...
thinkingchair2014's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
2k views

"looking back from now": is it looking back from the future to now or looking back to the past from this moment?

original sentence (1999 China's post-grad entrance exam): People looking back 5 or 10 years from now may well wonder why so few companies took the online plunge. http://www.langlib.com/Reading/...
Aaron Drake's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
120 views

First class(one week ago),Second class(yesterday),Third class(now;at the present time) how can we mention the first class?

First class ( one week days ago ) Second class ( yesterday ) Third class ( now ; at the present time ) We can mention the second class by saying " last session " but how can we mention the first ...
a.RR's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
17k views

"At what time" Vs. "What time"

When asking about something that will be later I have two ways to ask it: At what time is the lecture today? At what time you will come tomorrow? or What time is the lecture today? What time ...
Virtuous Legend's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
1k views

Until an hour latar, until a year later, until next year?

I am struggling a bit with expressions determining points in time and duration. Could you please explain to me whether I got it right? I am using "until" on purpose, I do know I could say it in a ...
Ezoella's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
2k views

Does "all-month" mean "from month to month"?

There is all-day, but I'm not sure whether all-month exists or means "from month to month" or not. I can use month to month too, but all-month seems more suited in this writing: No parenting book ...
Ooker's user avatar
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1 vote
3 answers
181 views

How to say "many hours before something" in simpler words and make it sound less formal?

They let me check in many hours before the official checkin time. This phrase sounds a bit formal to me. I'd like to simplify it, but the only other option that comes to my mind is "long before". ...
user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
15k views

Can we said "last morning"?

Normally we'll use last night when we're talking about yesterday's night, but how about yesterday's morning? Why can't we use last morning so as afternoon? Just like last weekend, last Friday, last ...
Andrew.Wolphoe's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
112 views

How should I write about done tasks?

When I finish my work, I need to write a simple report about completed tasks. What time should I use? Now my report usually looks like: Fix bag with this Update that Clean up Should I use past ...
Nikita's user avatar
  • 115
3 votes
1 answer
4k views

Why is "I've read this book for two hours" wrong?

A grammar book that I've been using showed this sentence as incorrect. I've read this book for two hours. This sentence is apparently incorrect in present perfect. Why is this sentence wrong? If ...
Frost Zone's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
548 views

Is "I play tennis for thirty minutes every Monday." a correct sentence?

I play tennis for thirty minutes every Monday. I spend thirty minutes playing tennis every Monday. Which one is correct and more natural? An English teacher had her students make a weekly exercise ...
user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
29 views

Placement of a year in mid-sentence [closed]

Can I use 2017 in the middle of the sentence? For example: The platform was launched in 2017, with an extensive support of our venture fund.
Valya Serg's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
59 views

"Heard from" with various recent-past phrases [closed]

Have you heard from John... a. recently b. two days ago c. since two days d. for two days What is the best answer? Since recently and for two days can use in the present perfect tense
NgocQuy's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
1k views

Should I put an article before "half" when talking about time? [duplicate]

I know that in context of time, if for example it is: 1:45 then I should say: "It is a quarter to two". But my question is about "half" in such context, for example, in case of 1:30. Should I say "It ...
Virtuous Legend's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
424 views

Correct way of indicating period of time on this sentence

Between the sentences: You've only been a day there. You've only been there for a day. Which would the grammatically correct one, or both are correct? Thank you
Jack's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
4k views

Should days of week be in plural form?

Are these sentences natural? Members of my family have their weddings on Saturdays. Pete pays a visit to his grandmother once a month. He does it on Saturdays. I celebrate my birthday on ...
azz's user avatar
  • 3,149
1 vote
1 answer
45k views

Future tense - I would be available anytime until 12pm or after 8pm from 2nd of April

Is this sentence grammatically correct? I will be available anytime until 12pm or after 8pm from 2nd of April. or I am available anytime until 12pm or after 8pm from 2nd of April.
Unknown's user avatar
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27 votes
10 answers
12k views

Can any time on clock be spoken as it is in numbers only (hour + minutes)?

According to the Cambridge dictionary, the answer for “What time is it?” depends on the minutes. When the times outside five-minute intervals, we say minutes past or minutes to: 9.01 one ...
Virtuous Legend's user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
8k views

How to say this time 00:00 in words in English?

How should I say this time: 00:00 in words? For example if someone asks me about the exact time and I would like to answer him exactly what I see in my watch [00:00 or 00:01]. Let's suppose that I ...
Virtuous Legend's user avatar

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