Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Lesson 345 . The title of today's lesson
is the difference between in a moment and at that moment. Okay.
The problem here is sometimes students of ESL, they will be using" in a moment" or
sometimes they even say "in the moment" when they really should be using "at that
moment.' All right. So, let's let's look at the note here. When we tell someone in a
moment, it means very soon. It means something is going to happen very soon
in the near future. We say in a moment. Okay. Let's continue. We usually use at
that moment, when we are telling someone a short story. We're telling a story and
it's used to mean at a particular time. Meaning at that moment, at that
particular time. So that's the way we should use at that moment. All right.
Again let's look at some examples here. With
the X this would be wrong. This is where a student might make a mistake. In that
moment, she opened the door and everyone yelled surprise. You know, for the party.
So in this case, you're telling a story. So it shouldn't be in that, in that
moment it should be at that moment. So again that would be correct here with
the check. At that moment, she opened the door and everyone yelled surprise for
her party. Okay , good. Let's look at example number two. In the moment I
stepped in the street, a car sped by and almost hit me. So again this would be
wrong. You should be saying, at that moment I stepped in the street a car
sped by and almost hit me. So again you're telling what happened. You're
telling part of a story. So you should be saying at that moment. You shouldn't be
saying like in a moment or in the moment. Okay, good. What's ...and, and here's just a
couple of examples where we do use in a moment to mean very soon. Just wait I'll be
with you in a moment. We hear this all the time like if you're out in
a store you want a sales clerk to help you maybe they're busy with something at
the moment. So they'll say in a moment I'll be with you. In a moment I'll be
with you, very soon. Okay, and let's look at the second one here. Don't go anywhere.
In a moment they are about to shoot off the fireworks . So very soon they're about
to shoot off the ... shoot off the fireworks. So don't go anywhere right now.
All right. Anyway, I hope you got it. I hope it's clear. Thank you for your time.
Bye-bye.