Time expressions and prepositional phrases

Time expressions and prepositional phrases

Specific times

84 Specific time expressions are used as complements when you want to state the current time, day, or year.

'Well what time is it now?''It's one o'clock'.

It was a perfect May morning.

Six weeks isn't all that long ago, it's January.

They are also often used in prepositional phrases to say when something happened, or when it is expected to happen.

I got there at about 8 o'clock.

The submarine caught fire on Friday morning.

That train gets in at 1800 hours.

clock times 85 Clock times are usually expressed in terms of hours and parts of an hour or minutes, for example 'one o'clock', 'five minutes past one', 'one twenty', 'half past one'. The day is usually divided into two sets of twelve hours, so it is sometimes necessary to specify which set you mean by adding 'a.m.', 'p.m.', or a prepositional phrase such as 'in the morning' or 'in the evening'.

In many official contests, a twenty-four hour system is used.

If the hour is known, only the minutes are specified: 'five past, ten to, quarter to, half past' and so on. 'Midday' and 'noon' are occasionally used.

times of the day 86 The most frequently used words for periods of the day are 'morning', 'afternoon', 'evening', and 'night'. There are also some words which refer to the rising and seeing of the sun, such as 'dusk' and 'sunset', and others which refer to mealtimes.

On a warm, cloudy evening, Colin went down to the river.

They seem to be working from dawn to dusk.

Most of the trouble comes outside the classroom, at break-time and dinner-time.

Here is a list of words that are used to talk about periods of the day:

naming days 87 The seven days or the week are proper nouns:

Saturday and Sunday are often referred to as 'the weekend', and the other days as 'weekdays'.

A few days in the year have special names, for example:

You can also name a day by giving its date using an ordinal number/

'When does your term end?''First of July'.

The Grand Prix is to be held here on the 18th July.

Her season of films continues until October the ninth.

You can omit the month if it is clear from the context which month you are referring to.

So Monday will be the seventeenth.

St Valentine's Day is on the fourteenth.

There is more information about ordinals in the Reference Section.

88 The twelve months of the year are also proper nouns:

There are four seasons: 'spring', 'summer', 'autumn' ('fall in American English) and 'winter'. 'Springtime', 'summertime' and 'wintertime' are also used.

Some periods of the year have special names: for example, 'Christmas', 'Easter', and 'the New Year'.

89 Years are referred to in English by numbers.

the eleventh of January, 1967.

A second conference was held in February 1988.

My mother died in 194

To refer to periods longer than a year, decades (ten years) and centuries (a hundred years) are used. Decades start with a year ending in zero and finish with a year ending in nine: 'the 1960s' (1960 to 1969), 'the 1820s' (1820 to 1829). If the century is already known, it can be omitted: 'the 20s', 'the twenties', 'the Twenties'.

To be more specific, for example in historical dates, 'AD' is added before or after the numbers for years or centuries after Christ is believed to have been born: '1650 AD', 'AD 1650', 'AD 1650-53', '1650-53 AD'. 'BC' is added after the numbers for years or centuries before Christ is believed to have been born: '1500 BC', '12-1500 BC'.

Centuries start with a year ending in two zeroes and finish with a year ending in two nines. Ordinals are used to refer to them. The 'first century' was from '0 AD' to '99 AD', the 'second century' was '100-199 AD', and so on, so the period '1800-1899 AD' was the 'nineteenth century' and we are currently in the 'twentieth century' (1900-1999 AD). Centuries can also be written using number: 'the 20th century'.

90 If you want to say when something happens, you use 'at' with clock times, periods of the year, and periods of the day except for 'morning', 'evening', 'afternoon', and 'daytime'.

Our train went at 2.2

It's on Radio Four at ten to eight tomorrow evening.

We were in Dunfermline at twenty five past.

You should go to church at Easter and Christmas.

I went down and fetched her back at the weekend.

On Tuesday evening, just at dusk, Brody had received an anonymous phone call.

He regarded it as his duty to come and read to me at bedtime.

At night we kept them shut up in a wire enclosure.

Let the fire burn out now. Who would see smoke at night-time anyway?

You can also use 'at' with 'time' and similar words such as 'moment' and 'juncture' and with units of clock time such as 'hour' and 'minute'.

General de Gaulle duly attended the military ceremony at the appointed time.

It was at this juncture that his luck temporary deserted him.

If I could have done it at that minute I would have killed him.

There were no lights at this hour, and roads, bungalows and gardens lay quiet.

'at' for relating events 91 You can also use 'at' when you want to relate the time of one event to another event such as a party, journey, election, and so on.

I had first met Kruger at a party at the British Embassy.

She represented the Association at the annual meeting of the American Medical Association in Chicago.

It is to be reopened at the annual conference in three weeks' time.

92 'At' is also used with ages, stages of development, and points within a larger period of time:

At the age of twenty, she married another Spanish dancer.

He left school at seventeen.

At an early stage of the war the British Government began recruiting a team of top mathematicians and electronics experts.

We were due to return to the United Kingdom at the beginning of March.

'in' for periods of time 93 If you want to mention the period of time in which something happens, you use 'in' with centuries, years, seasons, months, and the periods of the day 'morning', 'afternoon' and 'evening'. You also use 'in' with 'daytime' and 'night-time'.

In the sixteenth century there were three tennis courts.

It's true that we expected a great deal in the sixties.

Americans visiting Sweden in the early 1950's were astounded by its cleanliness.

If you were to go on holiday on the continent in wintertime what sport could you take part in?

To be in Cornwall at any time is a pleasure, to be here in summer is a bonus.

I get strange feelings in the autumn.

She will preside over the annual meeting of the Court in December.

In September I travelled to California to see the finished film.

I'll ring the agent in the morning.

Well, she does come in to clean the rooms in the day-time.

Note that if 'morning', 'afternoon', and 'evening' are used with a modifier or a qualifier, you use 'on'. See paragraph 95 for details.

'in' for specific time 94 'In' is also used when you want to specify a period of time, minutes, hours, days, and so on, using an ordinal.

Vehicle sales in the first eight months of the year have plunged by 24 per cent.

in the early hours of the morning.

'In' is also used with some other nouns referring to events and periods of time.

My father was killed in the war.

Everyone does unusual jobs in wartime.

In the holidays older children can cook something simple for themselves when they deign to turn up.

Two people came to check my cabin in my absence.

Ordinals are explained in paragraphs 2.249 to 2.256.

95 If you want to mention the day when something happens, you use 'on'. You can do this with named days, with days referred to by ordinals, and with days referred to by a special term such as 'holiday' or 'anniversary'.

I'll send the cheque round on Monday.

Everybody went to church on Christmas Day.

I hear you have bingo on Wednesday.

Pentonville Prison was set up on Boxing Day, 1842.

He was born on 3 April 1925 at 40 Grosvenor Road.

the grey suit Elsa had bought for him on his birthday.

Many of Eisenhower's most cautious commanders were even prepared to risk attack on the eighth or ninth.

addressing Parliament on the 36th anniversary of his county's independence.

You can use 'the' with named days for emphasis or contrast, and 'a' to indicate any day of that name.

He died on the Friday and was buried on the Sunday.

It is unlucky to cut your nails on a Friday.

You also use 'on' with 'morning', 'afternoon', 'evening', and 'night' when they are modified or qualified.

at 2.30 p.m. on a calm afternoon.

There was another important opening on the same evening.

When she arrived at the court on the morning of the event, her voice had vanished.

It's terribly good of you to turn out on a night like this.

96 'On' is also used with words indicating travel such as 'journey', 'trip', 'voyage', 'flight' and 'way' to say when something happened.

But on that journey, for the first time, Luce's faith in the eventual outcome was shaken.

Eileen was accompanying her father to visit friends made on a camping trip the year before.

97 'On' can be used in a slightly formal way with nouns and 'ing'-forms referring to actions or activities to indicate that one event occurs after another.

I shall bring the remaining seven hundred pounds on my return in eleven days.

On being called 'young lady', she laughed.

98 On the few occasions when people have to specify a time and date exactly, for example in legal English or formal documents, the usual order is: clock time, followed by period of day, day of the week, and date.

at eight o'clock on the morning of 29 October 1618.

on the night of Thursday July 16.

Non-specific times

99 If you want to be less precise about when something happened, you can use an approximating adverb or approximating expression. It is also possible to use prepositions to relate events to less specific points or periods of time, for example when the exact time of an event is not known, or when events happen gradually, continuously, or several times.

At about four o'clock in the morning, we were ambushed.

The device that exploded at around midnight on Wednesday severely damaged the fourth-floor bar.

The supply of servants continued until about 1950, then abruptly dried up.

He developed central chest pain during the night.

For, also over the summer, his book had come out.

One morning before dawn Ark was beginning to wake me up as usual.

Here is a list of approximating adverbs and expressions:

'About', 'almost', 'around', 'nearly', and 'round about', are usually used with clock times or years. With 'about', 'around', and 'round about', the preposition 'at' can often be omitted in informal English.

Then quite suddenly, round about midday, my mood began to change.

About nine o'clock he went out to the kitchen.

Here is a list of prepositions which are used to relate events to a non-specific time:

WARNING 100 'Almost' or 'nearly' can only be used after the verb 'be'.

101 You can also use 'or thereabouts' after the time expression.

Back in 1975 or thereabouts someone lent me an article about education.

at four o'clock or thereabouts.

'during' for periods of time 102 'During' can be used instead of 'in' with periods of the day, months, seasons, years, decades, and centuries.

We try to keep people informed by post during September.

She heated the place during the winter with a huge wood furnace.

During 1973 an Anti-Imperialist Alliance was formed.

During the Sixties various levies were imposed.

During the seventh century incendiary weapons were invented.

They used to spent the whole Sunday at chapel but most of them behaved shockingly during the week.

103 'During' can be used with most event nouns to indicate that one event takes place while another is occurring:

During his stay in prison, he has written many essays and poems.

trying to boost police morale during a heated battle with rioters.

The water-holding frog appears above ground only during the brief and infrequent rain storms.

Some families live in the kitchen during a power cut.

During the journey I came to like and respect them.

WARNING 104 'During the week' means on weekdays, in contrast to the weekend.

'over' for events 105 'Over' can be used with 'winter', 'summer', and special periods of the year to indicate that an event occurred throughout the period or at an unspecified time during it.

to help keep their families going over the winter.

My friends had a marvellous time over the New Year.

'Over' is also used when referring to a period of time immediately before or after the time of speaking or the time being talked about.

The number will increase considerably over the next decade.

They have been doing all they can over the past twenty-four hours.

We packed up the things I had accumulated over the last four years.

'Over' can be used with meals and items of food or drink to indicate that something happens while people are eating or drinking.

Davis said he wanted to read it over lunch.

Can we discuss it over a cup of coffee?

106 You can also be more general by stating the relationship between an event and a period of time or specific point in time.

'Before', 'prior to', and 'after' can be used to relate events to a time.

She gets up before six.

If you're stuck come back and see me before Thursday.

the construction of warships by the major powers prior to 191

City Music Hall is going to close down after Easter.

Clean up the kitchen after the weekend.

They can also be used to relate one event to another.

I was in a bank for a while before the war.

She gave me much helpful advice prior to my visit to Turkey.

Jack left after breakfast.

He was killed in a car accident four years after their marriage.

After much discussion, they had decided to take the coin to a jeweller.

'Following', 'previous to' and 'subsequent to' can also be used with events.

These features increase the chances that we will be able to see and think clearly following a physical attack.

He suggests that Ross was prompted previous to the parade.

The testimony and description of one witness would be supplied prior to the interview; those of the other two subsequent to it.

107 'Before' and 'after' can also be used to indicate the order of events when the same person does two actions or two people do the same action.

I should have talked about that before anything else.

He knew Nell would probably be home before him.

I do the floor after the washing-up.

You can also sometimes use 'earlier than' or 'later than'.

Smiling develops earlier than laughing.

108 To indicate that two or more events happen at the same time, the adverbs 'together' and 'simultaneously', or the adjuncts 'at the same time' and 'at once' can be used:

Everything had happened together.

His fear and his hate grew simultaneously.

Can you love two women an the same time?

I can't be everywhere at once.

109 You can also indicate what order things happen in using adverbs such as 'first', 'next', and 'finally'. 'Simultaneously', and 'at the same time' are used in a similar way to link clauses. This dealt with in paragraph 10.78.

'by' for specific time 110 'By' is used to emphasize that an event occurs at some time before a specific time, but not later. 'By' is also used to indicate that a process is completed or reaches a particular stage not later than a specific time.

By eleven o'clock, Brody was back in his office.

The theory was that by Monday their tempers would have cooled.

By 1985 there will be 5,000 robots on the job.

Do you think we'll get to the top of this canyon by tomorrow?

By now the moon was up.

But by then he was bored with the project.

Subordinate time clauses

111 Subordinate time clauses can often be used instead of prepositional phrases to indicate when an event occurs.

For example, instead of saying 'He was killed in a car accident four years after their marriage', you could say 'He was killed in a car accident four years after they were married'.

Or, instead of saying 'During his stay in prison, he has written many essays and poems', you could say 'While he has been in prison, he has written many essays and poems'.

It is often possible or preferable to use a subordinate clause introduced by 'before' or 'after' to indicate the order or simultaneity of a number of events.

Subordinate time clauses are explained in paragraphs 8.8 to 8.2

Extended uses of time expressions

112 Time expresses and prepositional phrases can be used as qualifiers to specify events or periods of time.

I'm afraid the meeting this afternoon tired me badly.

The sudden death of his father on 17 November 1960 did not find him unprepared.

until I started to recall the years after the Second World War.

No admissions are permitted in the hour before closing time.

Clock times, periods of the day, days of the week, months, dates, seasons, special periods of the year, years, decades, and centuries can be used as modifiers to specify things.

Every morning he would set off right after the eight o'clock news.

Castle was usually able to catch the six thirty-five train from Euston.

But now the sun was already shredding away the morning mists.

He learned that he had missed the Monday flight.

I had summer clothes and winter clothes.

Ash had spent the Christmas holidays at Pelham Abbas.

Possessive forms can also be used.

Tuesday's paper will he forced to carry an extra page to print all the corrections to statements in Monday's paper.

It was Jim Griffiths, who knew nothing of the morning's happenings.

The story will appear in tomorrow's paper.

This week's batch of government statistics added to the general confusion over the state of the economy.

For more information on modifiers and qualifiers, see Chapter 2.