TIME Collocations using the word time: Example comment I spent some time in NOT passed in this South

h America when I was context- though you can younger. say things like reading Passes the time. Dont you like that? Youre Spend, waste and save are wasting time. Youll save often used with money as time if you do it like this. well as time. Can you tell me the time, please? I left my watch at home? What do you like to do in Both expressions refer to your free/spare time? the time when you are not working. Im sorry, I didnt have Compare: Jo doesnt have time to do my homework. time for lazy people. (Have no patience with) The doctors very busy Make here has a simple but hell try to make time meaning of create. for you. We got to the airport To fill in the time while very early, so we had a you are to do something meal in the restaurant to you have planned. kill (some) time. No need to hurry- you can This means you can be as take your time. long as you wish. The train left Exactly on time- the first bang/dead/right on time. two are very informal.

Collocation Spend time

Waste time, save time

Tell someone the time

Free/spare time

Have time to

Make time for

Kill time

Take your time Bang/dead/right on time

Here are some other useful expressions related to time: 1. We had a good/great time at the party. (NOT spent a Great time) 2. Jayanthi had the time of her life in Brazil. 3. Your attitude to work may change a bit as time goes by/as time passes. 4. I couldnt finish the exam because I ran out of time. 5. Youll be sorry big time for speaking to me like that! (informal: extremely) Past and future The past few weeks have been really difficult for Tinas two grown up children. Theyre both at university writing dissertations. Her sons is on early 21st century fiction while her daughters is about prehistoric timesshes not interested in the recent past at all. They are both working very hard. They are nearly finished but there are many last minute things to do. They set their alarms for five oclock and get up as soon as the alarm goes off. They work from dawn till dusk1 and indeed sometimes they stay up until the small hours2. Tina cant wait until they stop working such ungodly hours3. Its taking them ages to complete their work but Tina is sure it will eventually all be worth their while4. She is sure that both of them have great future ahead of them. Of course, no one can know what the future holds, but I hope she is right.
1

All day 2, 3, 4 am Unreasonably late or early hours. Worth the time spent

2 3 4

SOUND Sounds in nature Look at these short stories. At first there was an eerie
1

It was a lovely place for picnic, there was a little babbling2 stream and birds were singing in the trees then we heard the patter of rain on the leaves above us. Sadly it was turning into a typical British summer day.
2

silence

then

there was a rumble of thunder in the distance soon the wind through was the whistling

trees and we could hear the waves crashing on the beach. The storm had begun.
1

strange in a frightening and mysterious

low, continuous

noise of water flowing Way. No sound broke the silence of the wintry landscape. Then suddenly two shots rang out and we heard a piercing3 cry of a dying bird. The hunting begun.
3

Over stones.

season

had

high, loud and unpleasant.

Everyday sounds Deafening, ear-splitting collocation Sound, noise (used as countable noun) Example We heard the earsplitting/deafening noise of three huge military aircraft passing low over our heads. People who make excessive noise after 10 p.m. are very anti social. When you work in a big office then you get used to constant background noise We could hear the muffled sound of music from the flat above us. Marie has such a shrill voice. I cant listen to her for long. I could hear raucous laughter from the party next door. The heavy box fell off the shelf on to the carpet with a dull thud. The big old iron door ,made a grafting noise as it opened. Suddenly there was a loud/an almighty bang. The lights went out and smoked poured from the back of the T.V. set.

excessive Background

Noise (used unaccountably) Noise

Muffled Shrill Raucous Dull Grafting Loud/almighty

Sound Voice, laugh Laughter Thud Noise, sound Bang, explosion

Roar Music/audio machine

Traffic Blare (out) Hum, whirr

I couldnt sleep with the constant roar of traffic outside my window. Loud music was blaring out of the radio in the kitchen. As we talked to the factory owner the machines hummed/whirred in the background.

Idioms in action Idiom An apple of someones eye Add insult to injury Meaning The person someone loves most dearly Treat someone badly and do something that makes the situation worse The idiom is said before an extra piece of information that may seem surprising or that adds an emphasis. Cant see very well Sentence with use I am the apple of my fathers eye. I said nothing more, because I did not want to add insult to injury. I know Carol very well, as a matter of fact we live in the same street. The room was very dark. I was as blind as a bat until I found the light switch. When Mark saw what was on the plate, he went as white as a sheet and said he felt sick. The garden is as pretty as a picture at this time of the year. I was at a loose end, so I went for a walk by the river. Michael was singing along to the radio at the top of his voice. Stop beating about the bush and tell me what has gone wrong. The final score was 14-1: the other team beat us hollow. Mary would have preferred to stay at a better hotel, but beggars cant be choosers. The management has bent over backwards to treat its employees with equality. The students in this hostel have the best of the both worlds.

As a matter of fact

As blind as a bat

As white as a sheet

pale face due to fear or illness

As pretty as a picture At a loose end At the top of your voice Beat about the bush

Very attractive or pleasant to look at To have nothing to do at a time Very loudly To talk in a roundabout way specially when you have something unpleasant to say Defeat someone easily and by a large margin To take what is available or what one can afford. Try very hard to be helpful and do the right thing. To have the advantages of two different things in the same

Beat someone hollow Beggars cant be choosers

Bend over backwards

The best of both the worlds

situation

The black sheep of the family Burn the midnight oil Catch some one red handed Come rain or shine

A person whose bad character or bad behaviour has brought bad name to the family To stay up late studying or working Catching someone in the act of committing crime 1. Doing something regardsless of the weather. 2. Whatever happens 3. Whatever the situation may be A price or a charge is a daylight robbery if you think it is much higher than it should be To sell something/lots of things very quickly and easily. To make someone feel a lot better

Theres a well- equipped kitchen, and a cafeteria for those who do not want to cook for themselves. Uncle Peter, the black sheep of the family, was a compulsive gambler. We had to burn the midnight oil to complete the work on time. These cameras can help the police to catch criminals red-handed. Carol is a good friend. I know that she will always stand by me, rain or shine.

Daylight robbery

Do a roaring trade

Do someone a power of good

The bus company was accused of daylight robbery when it raised its charges by more than fifty percent. We did a roaring trade selling cold drinks to the hot, thirsty tourists. Take this medicine. Itll do you a power of good.