complete your homework on time grammar

ON Time vs. IN Time – What is the difference?

ON time vs IN time – English Prepositions

• The meeting was scheduled for 10 a.m.

Do I say…. I arrived on time . … or … I arrived in time?

Well, both are correct BUT they have slightly different meanings. Let’s look at the difference between these two prepositions before the word time.

When something happens on time , it happens at the planned time.

= punctual = on schedule = at the arranged time = at the planned time = at the correct time = neither early nor late

Despite being stuck in traffic, I managed to get to the meeting on time . This means I wasn’t late. I arrived at the planned time.

• Susan always arrives late to work. She is never on time .

This means she never arrives at the correct time. She is never punctual.

When you are in time , you are early enough to have spare time, usually to be able to do something else.

= before something happens = before the scheduled time = with time to spare

Look at these sentences:

I arrived at 9.30 so I could have some coffee before the meeting started. I arrived in time to have some coffee before it started.

This means I arrived before the planned time of 10 a.m. and I had enough spare time to have some coffee before the meeting began. I arrived before the scheduled time of the meeting, which was early enough to be able to do something else.

Just in time

Just in time refers to something happening at the last moment, just before the deadline or just before something was supposed to happen. It means that something was almost too late.

The project was due at 10 a.m. We finished it a couple of minutes before it was due.

• We finished the project just in time .

Another example:

• I arrived home just in time to avoid the heavy rain.

Summary Chart

Are you normally on time for things? (Or do you often arrive late to things?)

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Prepositions in english.

• AT the weekend or ON the weekend?
• Angry WITH / Angry AT / Angry ABOUT
• Beside vs. Besides
• ON Time vs. IN Time - What is the difference?
• Between vs. Among - What is the difference?
• For vs. Since
• Made + preposition – made of, made from, made by

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Using Adverb Clauses with Time Expressions

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Adverb clauses provide additional information about how something is done. They are much like adverbs in that they tell the reader when , why or how someone did something. All clauses contain a subject and a verb, adverb clauses are introduced by subordinating conjunctions . For example,

Tom helped the student with the homework because he didn't understand the exercise.

... because he didn't understand the exercise explains why Tom helped and is an adverb clause.

Begin by studying adverb clauses which are often called "time clauses" in English grammar books and follow specific patterns. 

Punctuation

When an adverb clause begins the sentence, use a comma to separate the two clauses. Example: As soon as he arrives, we will have some lunch. When the adverb clause finishes the sentence, there is no need for a comma . Example: He gave me a call when he arrived in town.

Adverb Clauses with Time

• He was talking on the phone when I arrived.
• When she called, he had already eaten lunch.
• I washed the dishes when my daughter fell asleep.
• We'll go to lunch when you come to visit.

'When' means 'at that moment, at that time, etc.'. Notice the different tenses used in relation to the clause beginning with when. It is important to remember that 'when' takes either the simple past OR the present - the dependent clause changes tense in relation to the 'when' clause.

• We will finish before he arrives.
• She (had) left before I telephoned.

'Before' means 'before that moment'. It is important to remember that 'before' takes either the simple past OR the present.

• We will finish after he comes.
• She ate after I (had) left.

'After' means 'after that moment'. It is important to remember that 'after' takes the present for future events and the past OR past perfect for past events.

• She began cooking while I was finishing my homework.
• As I was finishing my homework, she began cooking.

While' and 'as' are both usually used with the past continuous because the meaning of 'during that time' indicates an action in progress.

By the time:

• By the time he finished, I had cooked dinner.
• We will have finished our homework by the time they arrive.

'By the time' expresses the idea that one event has been completed before another. It is important to notice the use of the past perfect for past events and future perfect for future events in the main clause. This is because of the idea of something happening up to another point in time.

Until, till:

• We waited until he finished his homework.
• I'll wait until you finish.

'Until' and 'till' express 'up to that time'. We use either the simple present or simple past with 'until' and 'till'. 'Till' is usually only used in spoken English.

• I have played tennis since I was a young boy.
• They have worked here since 1987.

'Since' means 'from that time'. We use the present perfect (continuous) with 'since'. 'Since' can also be used with a specific point in time.

As soon as:

• He will let us know as soon as he decides (or as soon as he has decided).
• As soon as I hear from Tom, I will give you a telephone call.

'As soon as' means 'when something happens - immediately afterward'. 'As soon as' is very similar to 'when' it emphasizes that the event will occur immediately after the other. We usually use the simple present for future events, although present perfect can also be used.

Whenever, every time:

• Whenever he comes, we go to have lunch at "Dick's".
• We take a hike every time he visits.

'Whenever' and 'every time' mean 'each time something happens'. We use the simple present (or the simple past in the past) because 'whenever' and 'every time' express habitual action.

The first, second, third, fourth, etc., next, last time:

• The first time I went to New York, I was intimidated by the city.
• I saw Jack the last time I went to San Francisco.
• The second time I played tennis, I began to have fun.

The first, second, third, fourth, etc., next, last time means 'that specific time'. We can use these forms to be more specific about which time of a number of times something happened.

Adverb Clauses Showing Opposition

These type of clauses show an unexpected or non-self-evident result based on the dependent clause.

Example:   He bought the car even though it was expensive . Take a look at the chart below to study the various usages of adverb clauses showing opposition.

Punctuation:

When an adverb clause begins the sentence use a comma to separate the two clauses. Example:   Even though it was expensive, he bought the car. When the adverb clause finishes the sentence there is no need for a comma. Example:   He bought the car even though it was expensive.

Even though, though, although:

• Even though it was expensive, he bought the car.
• Though he loves doughnuts, he has given them up for his diet.
• Although the course was difficult, he passed with the highest marks.

Notice how 'though, even though' or 'although' show a situation which is contrary to the main clause to express opposition. Even though, though and although are all synonyms.

Whereas, while:

• Whereas you have lots of time to do your homework, I have very little time indeed.
• Mary is rich, while I am poor.

'Whereas' and 'while' show clauses in direct opposition to each other. Notice that you should always use a comma with 'whereas' and 'while'.

Using Adverb Clauses to Express Conditions

These type of clauses are often called "if clauses" in English grammar books and follow conditional  sentence patterns . Take a look at the chart below to study the various usage of different time expressions.

When an adverb clause begins the sentence use a comma to separate the two clauses. Example:   If he comes, we will have some lunch. . When the adverb clause finishes the sentence there is no need for a comma. Example:   He would have invited me if he had known.

• If we win, we'll go to Kelly's to celebrate!
• She would buy a house, if she had enough money.

'If' clauses express the conditions necessary for the result. If clauses are followed by expected results based on the condition.

• Even if she saves a lot, she won't be able to afford that house.

In contrast to sentences with 'if' sentences with 'even if' show a result that is unexpected based on the condition in the 'even if' clause.  Example:   COMPARE: If she studies hard, she will pass the exam AND Even if she studies hard, she won't pass the exam.

Whether or not:

• They won't be able to come whether or not they have enough money.
• Whether they have money or not, they won't be able to come.

'Whether or not' expresses the idea that neither one condition or another matters; the result will be the same. Notice the possibility of inversion (Whether they have money or not) with 'whether or not'.

• Unless she hurries up, we won't arrive in time.
• We won't go unless he arrives soon.

'Unless' expresses the idea of 'if not'  Example:   Unless she hurries up, we won't arrive in time. MEANS THE SAME AS: If she doesn't hurry up, we won't arrive in time.  'Unless' is only used in the first conditional.

In case (that), in the event (that):

• In the case you need me, I'll be at Tom's.
• I'll be studying upstairs in the event he calls.

'In case' and 'in the event' usually mean that you don't expect something to happen, but if it does... Both are used primarily for future events.

• We'll give you your bicycle only if you do well on your exams.
• Only if you do well on your exams will we give you your bicycle.

'Only if' means 'only in the case that something happens - and only if'. This form basically means the same as 'if'. However, it does stress the condition for the result. Note that when 'only if' begins the sentence you need to invert the main clause.

Adverb Clauses with Expressions of Cause and Effect

These type of clauses explain the reasons for what happens in the main clause.  Example:   He bought a new home because he got a better job. Take a look at the chart below to study the various usages of different expressions of cause and effect. Note that all of these expressions are synonyms of 'because'.

When an adverb clause begins the sentence use a comma to separate the two clauses.  Example:   Because he had to work late, we had dinner after nine o'clock. . When the adverb clause finishes the sentence there is no need for a comma.  Example:   We had dinner after nine o'clock because he had to work late.

Adverb Clauses of Cause and Effect

• They received a high mark on their exam because they had studied hard.
• I'm studying hard because I want to pass my exam.
• He works a lot of overtime because his rent is so expensive

Notice how because can be used with a variety of tenses based on the time relationship between the two clauses.

• Since he loves music so much, he decided to go to a conservatory.
• They had to leave early since their train left at 8.30.

'Since' means the same as because. 'Since' tends to be used in more informal spoken English.  Important note:  "Since" when used as a conjunction is typically used to refer to a period of time, while "because" implies a cause or reason.

As long as:

• As long as you have the time, why don't you come for dinner?

'As long as' means the same as because. 'As long as' tends to be used in more informal spoken English.

• As the test is difficult, you had better get some sleep.

'As' means the same as because. 'As' tends to be used in more formal, written English.

Inasmuch as:

• Inasmuch as the students had successfully completed their exams, their parents rewarded their efforts by giving them a trip to Paris.

'Inasmuch as' means the same as because. 'Inasmuch as' is used in very formal, written English.

Due to the fact that:

• We will be staying for an extra week due to the fact that we have not yet finished.

'Due to the fact that' means the same as because. 'Due to the fact that' is generally used in very formal, written English.

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Homework: Prepositions of Time

At, in or on? Whoever thought three tiny words could cause so much confusion! These three basic Time Prepositions are among the first your students are likely to encounter as they become more acquainted with the English language, so it's critical that they get them right before they encounter the plethora of less logical prepositions that await them as they progress to higher levels. This handy worksheet enables students to practise these essential parts of speech through three different types of exercises.

After downloading your PDF: print it immediately or save and print later. Answers are provided for teachers on the second page.

Make your own worksheets with the free EnglishClub Worksheet Maker !

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HOMEWORK in a Sentence Examples: 21 Ways to Use Homework

Have you ever found yourself struggling with completing your homework on time? Homework refers to academic tasks assigned to students by teachers to be completed outside of regular class time. It provides an opportunity for students to practice and apply what they have learned in class.

Completing homework assignments is essential for reinforcing concepts taught in class, as well as developing important skills such as time management and critical thinking. By working on homework independently, students can deepen their understanding of the material and improve their academic performance.

Table of Contents

7 Examples Of Homework Used In a Sentence For Kids

• Homework is important for learning.
• I do my homework every day after school.
• My teacher gives us homework to do.
• I need to finish my homework before dinner.
• Homework helps me practice what I learn in class.
• I ask my parents for help with my homework .
• It is fun to complete my homework on time.

14 Sentences with Homework Examples

• I have so much homework to finish before the deadline.
• Homework is piling up, and I don’t know where to start.
• I can’t go out tonight because I have too much homework to do.
• Let’s meet up at the library to work on our homework together.
• I wish I didn’t have to stay up late to complete my homework .
• It’s hard to concentrate on my homework with all the noise in the dorm room.
• I need to find a quiet place on campus to focus on my homework .
• Homework is always on my mind, even during breaks between classes.
• I never leave my room without my backpack full of homework assignments.
• My grades are suffering because I keep procrastinating on my homework .
• I have a group project due next week, and everyone needs to do their part of the homework .
• I find it challenging to balance extracurricular activities with all the homework I have.
• Submitting homework online has made it easier to turn in assignments on time.
• I have to set reminders on my phone to make sure I don’t forget about homework deadlines.

How To Use Homework in Sentences?

Homework is used to refer to assignments or tasks given to students by teachers to be completed outside of class. Homework is an important part of a student’s learning process, as it helps reinforce the concepts taught in class and allows students to practice applying their knowledge.

To use Homework in a sentence, you can say: – “I have a lot of homework to do tonight.” – “Make sure you complete your homework before tomorrow’s class.” – “She spends hours every night working on her homework assignments.”

In each of these sentences, Homework is used to describe the schoolwork that students are required to do outside of the classroom. It is important to remember that Homework is singular, so it is always followed by a singular verb.

When using Homework in a sentence, it is helpful to consider the context in which it is being used. Make sure to use the word appropriately in a sentence that makes sense and conveys the intended meaning. Practice using Homework in sentences to become more comfortable with its usage in everyday language.

In conclusion, homework plays a crucial role in reinforcing classroom learning and enhancing students’ understanding of concepts. As seen in various examples of sentences with homework, it serves as a tool for practice, revision, and application of knowledge. Additionally, completing homework tasks can help students develop time management skills, responsibility, and self-discipline.

While some may argue that homework can be overwhelming, with proper organization and prioritization, it can be a valuable learning tool. By carefully crafting sentences with homework, we can understand its importance in the educational process. Ultimately, homework should be seen as a beneficial exercise that complements classroom instruction and contributes to students’ academic growth and development.

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Time Clauses: an explanation, rules and exercise

by Phil Williams | Jan 7, 2014 | Grammar | 61 comments

Thanks for this very helpful post! I’m inclined to get a bit fussy, though, when the explanatory text includes sentences such as “Though the patterns for forming time clauses are similar to regular clauses, with the same word order (except with an adverb of time first), but time clauses use particular tense rules.” Patterns for forming time clauses are similar to those for forming regular clauses, and don’t you want to pick one or the other of “though” and “but”?

Absolutely right – thanks for pointing it out.

And what about the sentence: I will lend you the book as soon as I have read it.

Hi Peter, yes that example is absolutely fine.

Respectfully, sir, “Before the first lesson” is not a clause, but a phrase. A clause needs a verb, so the construction should be something like this:

Before the first lesson begins…

Hi Karen, thanks for spotting that oversight – I will correct it at once.

Very interesting and helpful thanks a lot God bless!

would have been good had there been more explanation on the tense rules

There is more discussion of the tense rules in other articles on the site (and a whole book about them!) – please do check out the menu button under lessons, pointing to English Tenses,for more.

Thanks for your help

You’re welcome!

Hello, Mr. Williams

I have a difficulty understanding the below sentence

” I knew that if things were going to improve, I was the one responsible for making it happen. (From Atomic Habits) ”

What type of conditionals is it?

Hi Wendy, it’s being used a mixed conditional here, to use a past statement in relation to an imagined possibility – but I can see why it would unclear as it’s not the most appropriate form really. It would make more sense to say ‘if things were going to improve, I would have been the one responsible’, to make it about a past possibility.

‘if things were going to improve, I would be the one responsible’, to make it about a past possibility.” Isn’t it unlikely case in the future not past?

Thanks Kate, yes, you’re right thanks for pointing that out – that should’ve been present perfect for the past possibility, I’ll edit that.

thank you so much it was beneficial and useful for us

You are welcome!

You mentioned at the start that “Time clauses are complete ideas that require subjects, verbs and objects, but they do not always use the same verb rules as the main clause”, however, in the subsequent para, you wrote “A clause that starts with an adverb of time like this is not usually a complete idea, as they work as subordinating conjunctions”. I think i get the idea that time clauses are subordinate clauses and hence are not complete in that they can’t stand alone like main (i.e. independent) clauses, but i am confused by the above two sentences. Appreciate if you could clarify the following: a) When you say a “complete idea”, are you referring to whether a clause can stand on its own and express an idea (i.e. like a main clause can)? b) Why is it that you mentioned that time clauses are complete ideas, and yet in the subsequent para you wrote that such time clauses that start with adverbs of time are not usually complete ideas. c) Is it a case where time clauses include the adverbs of time (e.g. when)? If so, may i know why you wrote that “Time clauses are preceded by adverbs or adverb phrases that show they represent a time. These include when, after, until, as soon as, before”. In my view, to say that adverbs precede time clauses would mean that the time clauses simply start with “the sun sets” instead of “When the sun sets”. However if the adverbs do not precede (i.e. come before) the time clause and is in fact reckon as part of a time clause, then i would agree that “When the sun sets” is the time clause itself.

Appreciate your kind advice, thanks!

Regards, Tim

Hi Tim, Thank you for taking the time to point this out – apologies, you are absolutely right that the wording here was rather clumsy – indeed ‘complete’ has been used in two different ways as in the first instance my intention was to suggest a time clause is a complete clause as a grammatical unit, rather than that it makes complete grammatical sense (as in, we can present a whole grammatical scenario in a time clause, but with the second meaning as you rightly point out saying that no – it does not form a complete idea without the context of the main clause). On your other point, yes you’re right that is rather sloppy word choice – technically the adverb is a part of a time clause; it precedes the clause to form the time clause, rather than preceding the time clause – more appropriate would be to say the adverb comes at the front of the time clause. Again thank you for pointing these out, I have amended the article accordingly to avoid future confusion. It’s very useful at this time as I’m in the middle of updating the website and will be proofing all the old articles to iron out kinks like this! Best, Phil

Hi Phil, thanks. “Defining clause” meaning the main (i.e. independent clause) correct?

Ah apologies, that was poor wording – but yes, I meant the main/independent clause, which in this case defines the situation but is not actually a defining clause in the grammatical sense of the phrase – I’ll edit that!

Hello! i have a question of that exercises. The phrases that are in Present continuous, are they in future use or in present tense? If they are in future tense use, would i aplicated the future´s rule? For example : In 2, we are meeting the team when the team arrives at the station, it would be good?

Hi Nuria – you’re correct, the present continuous is being used for future meaning here, and yes your example would work fine. I appreciate this could be a little confusing – when used for a time clause, unless it’s clearly discussing a timeless rule, the present tense like that is quite likely to suggest a future arrangement.

Ok. Thank you so much. Your explication of time clauses has been usefull me. And you answering very fast 🙂

You’re welcome, glad I could help!

One additional query:

You mentioned “when talking about past or present events, you can generally use regular tenses for time clauses.” Are you simply saying that if the time clause is about a present activity (use present tense), if it is about a past activity (use past tense) etc?

Yes, though I think my intention there was to suggest it is the tense we would expect for the event – without needing to make the time clause too complicated. Often simple tenses are more appropriate in time clauses than perfect tenses, for example, because we are marking time with a completed activity, rather than indicating a more complicated time relationship. Best, Phil

Hi Phil, sorry to press further, but what exactly are you referring to when you said “regular tenses”? I simply took it to mean that when using time clauses to refer to the past, simply use simple past tense (as logically you would expect) and similarly use simple present tense in a time clause when you are referring to the present. In other words, we only need to ensure that time clauses referring to future time are in the simple present tense?

Hi Tim – generally I meant regular in the sense that they are the expected/logical tense, yes, exactly as you’ve suggested.

Dear Phil, thanks so much for your patience. Another point in which i would like to seek your advice on is again on the part where you mentioned “Time clauses are started with adverbs or adverb phrases that show they represent a time. These include when, after, until, as soon as, before. A clause that starts with an adverb of time like this is not usually a complete grammatical idea, as they work as subordinating conjunctions”.

Since time clauses are subordinate clauses, and we know that subordinate clauses always begins with subordinate conjunctions (such as when), however, based on the portion as reproduced above, it seems you are alluding that when is in fact an adverb. Isn’t “when” functioning as a subordinate conjunction and not as an adverb in the time clause?

Hi Tim, sorry for the slow response on this one; that’s a good question. You are right that it could technically be defined as a subordinate conjunction, but, for example, ‘when”s adverb function can also define “at/on which” for time, as opposed to the conjunctive use for “at/after/during” a time – as both uses include “at” for defining time, there is some murkiness between where exactly it would be an adverb or conjunction. I’ve referred to it as an adverb here to highlight the familiar word type, but its technical definition in the context of time clauses could be either an adverb or conjunction, depending on what we are demonstrating.

Hi Phil, you mentioned that “Time clauses are used in English to demonstrate a period of time based on an action or event, similar to dependent clauses in conditional sentences.

For example, I will cook dinner when I get home. ‘When I get home’ is a clause demonstrating a point in time, based on an action/event (the time that I get home), in place of a time such as I will cook dinner at 7pm.”

Are time clauses used to demonstrate “a period of time based on an action/event”, or are time clauses used to demonstrate “a point in time”? or do you mean the same thing as in a period of time can refer to a long or short duration of time, and that a “point in time” simple refers to a short duration of time?

Hi – you’re correct in the latter explanation, wherein I meant a period of time could also refer to any length of time, including a particular point in time – perhaps it would be most accurate to say a “period of or point in time”.

Thank you for explaining and sorry to probe further, but does “a point in time” absolutely mean a short duration of time, no matter how short it is?

Hi – essentially, ‘a point’ refers to a specific time relative to a wider range. This doesn’t necessarily define a duration, but typically focuses on a specific instant (e.g. “at 12 o’clock exactly”) – in different contexts it could refer to different units of time.

For example, ‘1980’ could indicate a specific point in time (‘The company was established in 1980.’) or a period of time encompassing the duration of a year (‘The company opened twenty new shops during 1980.’).

Thank you Phil for explaining. I think i get what you mean now, just that in my native tongue we tend to quantify time differently. In any case, I think what you are saying is that in English, when we say “a point in time”, it can mean either an instant (i.e. at a specific time such as at 7 o’clock or on 13th June), or it can also mean a duration of time (however short this duration is), correct?

Hi – yes, but for the most part, I would say ‘a point in time’ refers to a specific instant – the duration aspect was only really to say that what we define as a specific instant can depend on context (7 o’clock is an instant, but 1980 is also an instant relative to a century). I rather have a habit of making things complicated when I look for ways in which language can be flexible!

Hi Phil, so time clauses can refer to a period of time such as “when I was a child” – this referring to an entire duration of time (i.e. the time when I was a child), or time clauses can refer to a point of time such as “when I get home” to mean at the exact instance when I am home.

May I know if the above is what you meant when you said “Time clauses are used in English to demonstrate a period of or point in time based on an action or event, similar to dependent clauses in conditional sentences”?

Yes that’s the idea, you have understood correctly.

As a conjunction, “When” can mean either “At or during the time that”, or “After”.

Firstly, using the example “I will cook dinner when I get home”, “When” here is functioning as a conjunction, right?

Secondly, “when” here carries the meaning of “after” as in the sentence means the same as “I will cook dinner after I get home”, correct?

Thirdly, you quoted another example in “I might practice my pronunciation until my friend’s lesson has finished”. Does this mean that my practice will extend up to the point when my friend’s lesson finished, and will likely continue past that point, hence the use of the present perfect “has finished” within the time clause that begins with “until”?

Lastly, what is/are the difference(s) between your example “I might practice my pronunciation until my friend’s lesson has finished” (use of present perfect within time clause) as compared with saying “I might practice my pronunciation until my friend’s lesson finishes” (use of simple present tense within the time clause)?

Hi, yes you are correct about the uses of ‘when’. For the other example you are also correct; the present perfect indicates that the friend’s lesson is ongoing now. It could be used the same way as the present simple in this sentence without much difference, for the most part, but that current activity is the emphasis of the present perfect (whereas the present simple version could be said before the lesson has started, for example).

Hi Phil, sorry, to clarify, when you said “For the other example you are also correct”, are you referring to this example “I might practice my pronunciation until my friend’s lesson has finished”, and that my understanding of it (i.e. that the example means that my practice will extend up to the point when my friend’s lesson finished, and will likely continue past that point, hence the use of the present perfect “has finished”) is correct?

Hi – yes, that’s what I was referring to; that is the correct understanding of it.

Hi Phil, to visit again the definition of time clauses, which is “Time clauses are used in English to demonstrate a period of or point in time based on an action or event, similar to dependent clauses in conditional sentences.”, as well as the meanings of “when”, I would like to refer again to two examples “I will cook dinner when I get home” as well as another example “I loved maths when I was at school”.

“when” can mean either (‘At’ or ‘during the time that’), or (‘as soon as’ or ‘after’).

Firstly, just to seek some re-clarification, is it a case where “I will cook dinner when I get home” means that I will cook dinner as soon as / after i get home? – and that the time clause (aka “when” clause) here is used to demonstrate or represent a point in time (i.e. an instant/moment)?

Secondly, “I loved maths when I was at school” simple means that during the time (i.e. throughout the whole duration I was at school), I loved maths? – and that the time clause here is used to demonstrate or represent a period of time (i.e. a duration of time)?

Thank you, and apologies if the queries are abit long, however its just me breaking up my doubts into individual questions so that its easier to understand (for me). Thanks.

Regards, Vegito

Yes you’ve got that right, ‘when I get home’ would be used to demonstrate that point in time, the arrival at home or soon after, whereas ‘when I was at school’ would represent a wider duration of time, ‘during the period of time that I was at school’. I’m happy to help clarify; it sounds like you have a good idea of it.

Hi Phil, you have said that Time clauses, or ‘when’ clauses are often compared to ‘if’ clauses. This is a logical comparison because when discussing the future they are grammatically very similar to the first conditional.

We will see them when they get here. We will see them if they get here.

We know that we can begin a sentence with a subordinate ‘if’ clause, similarly can we begin a sentence with subordinate Time clause ‘when’ too? If yes, then would you please tell whether the following example for Time clause is right or not-

When all your dreams fade away, I’ll still shine as reality!

Hi Punyo, Yes, you are correct, clauses starting with ‘when’ can be moved in a similar way to ‘if’ clauses. Your example does work, yes (and is rather poetic!).

Hello, I have a problem figuring out how does the following sentence work. “They’ve been living with his mother while they look for a house.” Shouldn’t the sentence look like this? “They’ve been living with his mother while looking for a house.”

Very good question as that’s one that’s got some ambiguity around it. The fact is both work here – unlike regular clauses, we can use the present simple to show a temporary/process action in a time clause, so “while we do” effectively has the same meaning as “while we are doing”. Because this is possible, we tend to go with the simpler option, and use the continuous if we want to emphasise that this is a process. So, your two examples would essentially be understood the same way, but “while looking for a house” draws more attention to the house search being a process.

Appreciate your advice on the following three points.

Firstly, You mentioned at the start of this article that “Time clauses are started with adverbs or adverb phrases that show they represent a time (sometimes also functioning as subordinating conjunctions)” – just to clarify, “they” in this sentence refers to “time clauses”, and the point is that time clauses simply represent a time, correct?

Secondly, you went on to mention that “These include when, after, until, as soon as, before. A clause that starts with an adverb of time like this is not usually a complete grammatical idea, as they work as subordinating conjunctions” – just to clarify, “they” in this sentence refers to the adverbs of time (e.g. when, after, until, as soon as, before)?

Thirdly, your point in the sentence “These include when, after, until, as soon as, before. A clause that starts with an adverb of time like this is not usually a complete grammatical idea, as they work as subordinating conjunctions” is that sometimes these adverbs of time also function as subordinating conjunctions? If so, what is the difference and also when does the adverbs of time function as adverbs, and when do they function as subordinating conjunctions?

Regards, Shizuka

Hi Shizuka,

(1) Yes, that’s right, “they” meaning the time clause. (2) Correct again, this “they” refers to the adverbials. (3) The difference here would be if they’re connecting a verb clause or phrase; we may indicate a time with an adverbial phrase with a time, for example, which won’t include a verb, so in that case it’s not a conjunction. “We will come home after 10pm.” (adverb) / “We will get come after we have have been to the theatre.” (subordinating conjunction). That said, this indicates whether we have a clause of phrase following the verb but technically it’s doing the same “adverb of time” job in both cases: “We will come home [adverb of time] + [phrase / clause of time].”

I was re-reading this article when the following caught my eye “Time clauses only use different rules for future tenses; when talking about past or present events, you can generally use regular tenses for time clauses”. When you say “regular tenses”, what exactly do you mean?

Sorry I missed this one – yes, I can see “regular” might be the clearest word there, what I mean is the tense that you would expect to see, considering the usual rules (i.e. if it wasn’t a time clause). Whereas with future tenses, it’s not necessarily the same tense that we would expect if it was not put into a future time clause: I will put out the garbage. But: I am going to sleep after I put out the garbage. Phil

Hi, Phil, it should be “The team is arriving,” not “The team are arriving.” The team, in this case, is used as a singular. If you said “The members of the team are arriving,” then ARE is correct. Similar to “The staff is trying to decide where to go for lunch.”

Hi Michael, thanks for pointing that one out. Occasionally using plurals with group nouns is one of my language vices (and one I do think can be argued in colloquial usage) but certainly, for accuracy’s sake this one should be singular.

Hi dear Phil,

You mentioned that “Time clauses only use different rules for future tenses; when talking about past or present events, you can generally use regular tenses for time clauses.”. Does this mean that if we’re talking about future arrangements, we must use the present tense in the conditional sentence?

On other hand, if we’re not talking about the future, we can use any kind of tenses in time clauses. Am I right? (At this point, does this rule apply to both clauses? I mean can we use any tenses in both the time clause and the other clause?)

I have a little problem with tenses in this grammar.

Regards, Sadra

Essentially yes – it’s always tricky to offer complete absolutes in English, as there are always exceptions, but generally speaking for the future the time clauses will be in the present tense, for the present we’ll most likely also use present tense time clauses, and past sentences are likely to use past tenses. There are cases where there will be other mixes, but it’s essentially a case of logically connecting the time clause tense with the other tense – when it comes to the future, we typically use the present tense for arrangements/schedules, so this logically fits future time clauses, which will be established points in time (whereas the other future tense forms, “will” and “going to be”, usually have some determinate quality, for less established factual points in time). I hope this makes sense!

If you were to write a sentence like “I opened the tin of beans and, after heating it, ate the contents”, would the words ‘after heating it’ be referred to as a time phrase? (I note the previous comment about clauses requiring verbs). If not, what is it called?

This is part of an ongoing conversation about correct use of commas, specifically whether a comma is required before the ‘and’, and I want to be technically correct when describing sentence structure!

That could be described as a time phrase, yes, or more technically an adverbial of time (as you rightly say not a clause as there’s no verb). The comma might be a bit debatable, not everyone would agree, but I would personally suggest it is necessary there, as you are using the commas to parenthesise the phrase in an unexpected/not typical location (as the time phrase would usually come at the end).

Hope this helps!

Just to be clear, I’m happy about the commas round ‘after heating it’, the question now is whether you need a comma before the ‘and’, i.e. “I opened the tin of beans, and, after heating it, ate the contents”.

From what I’ve read elsewhere it seem that adding commas before conjunctions depends on sentence length and is a bit of a grey area.

I can see, for example, that it might be necessary if I wrote “It was only after spectacularly failing my cordon bleu culinary course that I opened the tin of beans, and, after heating it, ate the contents to assuage my bitter disappointment”.

Is this comma necessary, and is there a rule I can follow, or is it a matter of personal style?

I’m not aiming for ‘stream of consciousness’, but I feel too many commas can make sentences clunky.

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Did you complete your work/finish (homework

• Thread starter English nerd
• Start date Oct 30, 2018

English nerd

Senior member.

• Oct 30, 2018

sound shift

I would say "Have you done your homework?" or "Have you finished your homework?"  

In BE we would use the present perfect: Have you done your homework?  

Hermione Golightly

It is not usual to use 'complete' when we are talking about everyday things. (It often doesn't have the same meaning as 'finished'.)  

• Aug 1, 2021

Hermione Golightly said: It is not usual to use 'complete' when we are talking about everyday things. (It often doesn't have the same meaning as 'finished'.) Click to expand...

Roymalika said: Hi Hermione, you mean you find a difference between "Have you completed you homework?" and "Have you finished your homework?"? If yes, could you let me know what it is, please? Click to expand...

Luca Tufo said: You can complete a task, a project but I don't think you can complete your homework. Click to expand...

I'd use 'do' or 'finish,' not 'complete.' And although I'd probably use the past, the present perfect would also sound fine in this case.  

Roxxxannne said: I'd use 'do' or 'finish,' not 'complete.' Click to expand...

Nothing's grammatically wrong with it, but "complete my homework" is not idiomatic to me.  

It’s not idiomatic. That’s all. It would make perfect sense, but it would sound odd. It would suggest that you meant: did you complete the homework that you’d already started and then left unfinished?  

Separable and inseparable Phrasal verbs – Exercise

Task no. 2921.

Decide whether the Phrasal verbs are separable or inseparable. Choose the correct sentences.

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Phrasal verbs in English

He turned on the light.

He turned the light on.

Hand in your homework on time.

Hand your homework in on time.

They got on the bus.

They got the bus on.

Look up the words in a dictionary.

Look the words up in a dictionary.

He grew up in North Carolina.

He grew in North Carolina up.

We checked in at our hotel.

We checked at our hotel in.

They gave up smoking.

They gave smoking up.

Henry asked Jenny out.

Henry asked out Jenny.

We mixed up the numbers.

We mixed the numbers up.

Dennis looked after his brother.

Dennis looked his brother after.

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     I am planning to complete all my homework on time.             A.     Partciple        B.     Gerund       C.     Infinitive

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Exercises on Conditional Sentences (Mix)

Type i or type ii.

Complete the Conditional Sentences. Decide whether to use Type I or II.

• If you do your homework now, we go will go would go went to the cinema in the evening.
• If we order will order would order ordered the book now, we will have it tomorrow.
• If I had more money, I buy will buy would buy bought a bigger car.
• If I meet will meet would meet met my favourite movie star, I would ask him for an autograph.
• I call will call would call called you if I need your help.
• I would go swimming if the weather is will be would be were better.
• If he doesn't have won't have wouldn't have didn't have time tomorrow, we will meet the day after.
• If I were you, I don't know won't know wouldn't know didn't know what to do.
• If we don't order the tickets soon, there aren't won't be wouldn't be weren't any tickets left.
• She does not say will not say would not say did not say that if she were your friend.