Hi there, this is Harry and welcome back to Advanced English lessons with Harry where I
try to help you to get a better understanding of the English language. Try to help you
to prove your conversational English, your business English prepare for job interviews,
we look at phrasal verbs, expressions, vocabulary, pronunciation, whatever it takes to help you to
improve. So in this advanced English lesson, we're looking at expressions about time, okay, so it's
advanced English, so you might not understand them all. But try and understand as many as you can and
practice them because that really, really makes a difference. So when we're talking about time,
there are two expressions that get people confused a lot on time and in time. Okay, so just a quick
explanation is the difference. Usually, when we're talking about on time, it's relating to something
that's scheduled, the train is on time, the train is always on time. The bosses never on time, it's
never there. When you want it, it tells you it will arrive. The schedule says it will arrive at
two o'clock and it's usually two or three or four minutes late. But you have to be on time. So the
train is arriving on time on platform number two. Yes, sir. The aeroplanes are all on time, there's
no no difficulty. So the plane will be on time it will be landing as per the schedule. So when we're
talking about schedule, we refer to on time or even meetings on time, the meeting will start on
time at two o'clock. And when we use in time, we can use it in referring to matters like handing in
a document. Am I in time to hand in the document? Yes, yes. The deadline isn't until five o'clock.
It's only three o'clock. So plenty of time. Yeah. Am I in time for the match? Yeah, look, here's the
football match starts at eight o'clock, you've got time to do your homework, you've got time
to have your dinner, then you can sit down and relax and watch the match in time. Okay,
so on time around the schedule in time for you to hand in your project in time to do your homework,
have your meal, and then sit back and watch the football match on the television. Yeah. Okay,
so on time in time. Remember, if you enjoyed this particular lesson, then please like the video,
and if you can subscribe to the channel, because it really, really helps. Okay, now let's look
at the particular expression. So we've got 10 of them. I'll go through the list. And I'll go back
and give you an example of each of them. Now, it's about time. Well, we can use this in lots of ways
call. What time is it now? Six o'clock? Well, it's about time you got home because I've been waiting
here. Your dinner has been on the table for that. 15 minutes. Where have you been? It's about time
you got your hair cut. Look at the length of it. Yeah, have the teachers not complained. It's about
time you tidied up your room. I haven't seen you take that vacuum cleaner to the closet for weeks
and weeks and weeks than the last time I looked in your room. It was a terrible state. So these are
the situations when we might use it's about time a parent trying to get their child or their children
to improve their workload at the home and to help around the house. It's about time now. Okay,
or perhaps the City Council or the government finally announced that that offer building in
the centre of the city is going to be demolished. And they're going to build a new shopping centre.
After it's about time. How long have we been living in this city? 15 years of building has been
empty. It's an absolute eyesore. So it's about time they pulled it down and put up something a
little bit more artistic, and something with some architectural merit. It's about time.
Take your time. Well, we use this expression a lot when we don't want people to hurry. Don't worry,
take your time. Yeah. So I'll be there in 15 minutes. It's okay. If you're a
few minutes late. I understand that no other meetings after this. So just take your time.
When would you like to have this paper? Well, look, it's really up to you. I don't need it
urgently. But you know, just take your time get it right. The important thing is to get it
right. And if it's a few days, that's okay. Just send me a mail when you think you're
getting close to it. Please take your time. Okay. So if somebody is getting into a car,
and they they've, they're a bit late for the meeting, the traffic's gonna be bad. Somebody
might say Look, don't worry about it. Just take your time. Don't drive too fast. You might have
an accident, you know if the traffic's heavy is nothing you can do just take your time.
spare time. Well, when we have spare time or time to spare, it means we've got free time. Yeah. So
your friend might have asked you, can you help him at the weekend? He's doing some painting. He
wants to move the furniture out of the apartment or into another room and he needs somebody to help
him. You said, yeah, no problem. I've got plenty of spare time at the weekend. I'm doing nothing.
When do you want me to come around? Yeah. So on to the next and all the time in the world? Well,
that really means you got plenty of time on your hands. You have nothing. That's pressurising you,
you can do whatever you want, whenever you want to do it. i Yes, I've got all the time in the world
now. Sure. I'm retired and active. I've got plenty of energy. But I've got all the time in the world,
I think I'd take over a new sport. I always wanted and always enjoyed cycling. So I think
I'd take it up a little bit more seriously. Or, in fact, I think I'll do some extra
classes, a little bit of study and English literature or something, but not for any
purpose just to enjoy myself. So I've got all the time the world what else would I be doing? That's
what our retirement is about. You got all the time in the world, and nice and relaxed, no stresses,
nobody putting any pressure on me other than myself. Okay, all the time in the world.
To do time, well, to do time is a little bit different. When people do time, it's usually
a euphemism for spending time in prison. Okay, so if somebody gets arrested for serious crime, they
go in front of the judge, they get found guilty, and then the sentences for three for 10 years in
prison. They do time. Yeah. And when they come out of prison, somebody might ask the question, well,
what were you doing time for? Or what did you do time for asking, the reason why they were sent to
prison. So to do time, is another way of saying they spent time in prison, they spent time in
jail, they were incarcerated, which is a very fun way to explain somebody was thrown into prison, so
to do time, is to spend time in prison because of something you were found guilty of doing robbing,
or stealing, or whatever it might have been. Okay, so to do time, for the time being, okay, well,
when we use that expression, for the time being, it means for now, but we might change later on,
okay. So if somebody comes into the office, or new recruit somebody who's just joining the firm,
or perhaps a graduate, you might say, look, for the time being, just take that desk there, there's
somebody on holidays, they're going to be back in a couple of weeks, but we'll find you another
place to sit before then. So for the time being mean, in the interim, just sit there, for the
time being, Philip has gone to look after you. So if you've got any problems, just ask Philip, he's
the head of the department, he's your go to person for any problems you have. For the time being, the
school is going to close because of the pandemic. So these are instructions, lots of parents got
over the last couple of years where there were problems with the school relating to this awful
virus. So for the time being, the school, school has to close and we'll notify you later, when
the school will reopen. Of course, classes are going to be held on line. So for the time being,
the children will be educated remotely, they'll be educated online using zoom, or teams or one of
these other platforms. So for the time being, so for the time being means momentarily, temporarily,
or for a shorter time, not permanent, okay, so for the time being and remember that b m b e i
n g for the time being time after time as a as a famous song, and of course, they always have
forgotten who sang it, but there's a line in time after time, time after time. Okay,
so there's a time after time means repeat it. So when something repeats, time after time, I have to
tell the kids not to play football in the garden. They're gonna break a window and guess what,
yeah, the ball came through the window, we're gonna have to repair it again, time after time,
meaning I'm constantly telling them time after time when I leave the house on a Friday morning,
I get stuck in traffic. It's I don't know. I think I'll just either leave early, or in fact, I
think I'll ask the boss, can I work remotely on a Friday. Time after time. Yeah. So time
after time is when we repeat some thing, time after time we tell somebody not to do something.
Time after time, the same thing happens. And so it's it shouldn't be a surprise. Okay, so time
after time. Time's up. Okay, well, when time's up, that's it. It's over. Oh,
that time's up. The lesson is over. Hope you enjoyed it. Okay. Time's up, the game should be
over now. And perhaps the referee is going to play a few minutes of extra time. So we're watching our
football match. And we're waiting for the match to end because our team is winning one nil,
and we're a little bit on edge times up this, the whistle should be going any minute now. So
perhaps the referee is playing some extra time or injury time. So we are waiting and waiting
for the game to be over so that we can celebrate Yeah, time's up. Yeah. Or in an exam situation,
the examiner might give you a warning that you're a five minute warning that the the exam will be
over in another five minutes. And then when it gets to that 11 o'clock, or one o'clock,
is it okay, that's it, time's up, please put down your pen, stop writing, and hand your papers in,
on the way out. Okay, so times up mean, it's over, it's finished, it's completed. And then finally,
time is on your side. Ha, I wish well, when you're young time is on your side. And as we get a little
bit older, we wish that we had more time on our side, it means more time to do something. Now,
it could be something that you're preparing for the end of the term. So the teacher gives you
plenty of warning that you have to submit your project by me, but time is on your side, it's
only February now. So plan it out, plan out what you want to do set yourself certain milestones
so that when you get them, it's not a shock. Don't leave it until the last minute, please don't leave
it until the beginning of May. Because you'll only make mistakes. And then you run out of time and
time will not be on your side. But at the moment, time is on your side, meaning you've got plenty of
time to work it out to prepare it and get it done properly. Okay. But as we get older, Time is not
on our side, we get a little bit anxious. We want to retire like me. And we're going to run out of
time. And we're hoping to get the things done that we want to get done. Oh yeah, no, but I need to
get this done before autumn or I need to get this done before the winter. So time is not on my side.
If the wet weather comes and I haven't repaired that garage roof or I haven't repaired the window,
well, then we're going to get some cold air or rain in and it's going to cause problems. So I'm
against the clock time is not on my side. Okay, so hopefully you understand all of those particular
expressions. As I said, they're expressions about time, we've got 10 of them. So I'll give
them to you again, any problems come back to me. I'll give you some more examples. So here
we go. It's about time. Okay, it's about time. Take your time, plenty of time. Take your time.
spare time or time to spare time on your hands all the time in the world
to do time, for the time being. Time after time, as I said the song says time after time. Time's
up. And then finally, time is on your side time is on your side. So 10 advanced expressions relating
to and about time, practice them, try them, see how you get on with them. Come back to me if you
need some more examples. And as always, thanks for listening. Thanks for watching. Join me again soon