Time Expressions- Same or Different

Times expressions the same or different

Dates, times, frequency expressions, past times and future times

Without looking below, listen to your teacher and raise one of the cards that you’ve been given depending on what you think about the meanings of the times that you hear. If you hear more than two times, they are all the same or all different (i.e. there aren’t two the same and one different).

Label the lines below with S for the same meanings or D for different meanings. If there are more than two, they are all the same (the same, the same and the same again) or all different (different, different, and different again).

Check your answers as a class.

Test each other by:

• Playing the same holding up cards game with the times below
• Playing the holding up cards game with other pairs of times that you make up yourself
• Reading out a time and seeing if your partner can say the same time in a different way

 

Dates the same or different

• on the first of December/ on December the first
• on the second of February/ on the second of the second/ on February second
• on the thirteenth of July/ on the thirteenth of the seventh
• on the thirteenth/ on the thirtieth
• See you on the thirtieth/ See you on the thirtieth of this month
• on the last day of April/ on the thirtieth of April
• on New Year’s Eve/ on the thirtieth of December
• on New Year’s Day/ on the first of January
• on Xmas Day/ on the twenty fifth of December
• on Valentine’s Day/ on the fortieth of February
• on April Fool’s Day/ on April third
• on May Day/ on the first of May
• in December this year/ this December

 

Years the same or different

• in two thousand and ten/ in two thousand ten/ in twenty ten
• in two thousand two/ in two thousand and two
• two thousand and one/ twenty one
• in nineteen sixty/ in the nineteen sixties
• in the eighteenth century/ in the seventeen hundreds
• the year after next/ twenty twenty four
• the year before last/ twenty twenty one

 

Times the same or different

• at two am/ at two o’clock in the morning
• at midnight/ at twelve pm
• at midday/ at noon/ at twelve pm
• at four pm/ at four o’clock in the afternoon/ at sixteen hundred hours
• at seven o’clock in the evening/ at seventeen hundred hours
• at five past four in the afternoon/ at four oh five pm
• at five past ten/ at ten past five
• at seven oh six am/ at six minutes past seven in the morning
• at four fifty pm/ at ten to five in the afternoon
• at seven fifteen pm/ at ten to eight in the evening
• at quarter past six in the morning/ at a quarter past six in the morning/ at six fifteen am
• at half past/ in thirty minutes

 

Lengths of time the same or different

• ninety second/ ninety seconds
• ninety second/ 92^nd
• for ninety seconds/ for one and a half minutes
• for sixty seconds/ for a minute
• for ninety minutes/ for half an hour
• for sixteen minutes/ for an hour
• for twenty four hours/ for a day/ for one day
• for seventy two hours/ for three days
• for two weeks/ for fourteen days/ for a fortnight
• for a decade/ for two years
• for a hundred years/ for a century
• for a thousand years/ for a millennium

 

Frequencies the same or different

• once a day/ once per day
• twice a day/ once every two days
• four times a year/ (about) once every three months
• semi-annual/ biannual
• semi-annual/ twice a year/ once every six months
• biannual/ once every two years
• frequently/ often
• normally/ usually/ typically
• rarely/ seldom

 

Past time expressions the same or different

• last year/ the year before last
• the day before yesterday/ two days ago
• two years ago/ two years before
• two years earlier/ two years before that
• from two thousand and two to two thousand and eight/ between two thousand and two and two thousand and eight
• in nineteen ninety nine/ since nineteen ninety nine/ from nineteen ninety nine
• last year/ in the last year
• in the last year/ in the last twelve months/ since this time last year
• just/ recently

 

Future time expressions the same or different

• this evening/ tonight
• in two days/ in two days’ time/ the day after tomorrow/ two days from now
• in ten years/ in a decade
• in two weeks/ in two weeks’ time/ in a fortnight
• in the next week/ in the next seven days/ within the next seven days/ within seven days/
• in the next week/ next week
• in two days/ two days later
• two days later/ two days after that
• in a month/ this time next month/ at this time next month
• in two days/ within two days
• within five days/ within five working days
• on Monday/ by Monday
• within seven days/ by this time next week
• by the end of this (working) week/ by close of business on Friday
• at the end of this week/ by the end of this week
• I’ll do it by Monday/ I’ll do it until Monday
• I’ll do it for seven days/ I’ll do it until this time next week
• in a couple of days/ in a few days/ in a week or so
• I’ll see you this weekend/ I’ll see you at the weekend
• this winter/ in the winter
• See you later/ See you again sometime
• one day/ someday/ sometime
• sometime/ sometimes
• I’m seeing him on Monday/ I’m seeing him next Monday
• at Xmas/ on Xmas Day
• at ten past/ in ten minutes
• immediately/ right away/ straightaway
• immediately/ as soon as possible/ when you have time
• as soon as possible/ ASAP/ as soon as you can

 

Other time expressions the same or different

• at first/ firstly
• at last/ lastly/ in the end

Cards for students to hold up

The same	Different
The same	Different
The same	Different
The same	Different
The same	Different
The same	Different
The same	Different

Pronouncing time expressions in different ways presentation/ practice

Pronounce the times below in at least one other way. Other pronunciations not above are also possible. Put a question mark (?) next to any you aren’t sure about.

Dates

• on December the first
• on the second of the second
• See you on the thirtieth of this month
• on New Year’s Day

 

Years

• in two thousand and ten
• in the seventeen hundreds
• the year after next
• the year before last

 

Times

• at two o’clock in the morning
• at midday
• at sixteen hundred hours
• at four oh five pm
• at six minutes past seven in the morning
• at four fifty pm
• at quarter past six in the morning

 

Lengths of time

• for ninety seconds
• for sixty seconds
• for half an hour
• for seven two hours
• for a fortnight
• for a decade
• for a hundred years

 

Frequencies

• once per day
• once every three months
• semi-annual
• biannual
• normally
• frequently

 

Past time expressions

• two days ago
• two years earlier
• in the last year

 

Future time expressions

• in two days
• in a decade
• in two weeks’ time
• on Saturday
• in the next week
• two days later
• within five working days
• by Wednesday (evening)
• by the end of this (working) week
• I’ll see you at the weekend

 

Check any which you weren’t sure about with the first worksheet.

 

Prepositions of time and determiners presentation

Write suitable prepositions of time in the gaps below. Think carefully about the meaning, and look above for similar examples if you need to. Some take no preposition, in which case you should write “-” to mean “nothing”.

 

particular days –_______________ the third of March/ ___________ Monday June second/ _____________ Tuesday/ See you _____ the thirtieth/ ________ Xmas Day

 

somewhere within a month, year, decade, etc – ________ two thousand (and) fifteen/ ______ twenty fifteen/ ________ the nineteen seventies/ _______ the twentieth century

 

words with or meaning “this”, “next” and “last” – _________ this year/ _________ next month/ _______ last week/ ________ tomorrow/ ________ the day before yesterday/ ________ the year after next

 

moments in time/ clock times – ____ three o’clock, ____ four pm, ____ half past seven

 

lengths of time – I sat there ______ sixty seconds/ I have worked here _____ a decade

 

number of times in one day, one week, etc – once ____ day, twice ____ week, three times _____ month, four times ______ year

 

number of times in more than one day, more than one week, etc – once ______ two days, once _______ three weeks, once ________ four months

 

times before now – three days _____, two weeks ___, three months ___

• times after now of future actions – ______ two days, ______ three weeks

 

deadlines with points in time – ________ Monday, _______ five o’clock (at the latest)

 

deadlines with lengths of time – ____________ five (working) days, _____ two years

Mixed answers

Use the words below to help check and finish the task above. Some words need to be used more than once.

-

a

ago

at

by

every

for

in

on

within

 

Put the correct words in each gap below, using the examples above to help if you need to.

• I go abroad once _____ year or once ______ two years.
• I had a hamburger _______________ my birthday
• I had an accident two days ________________.
• I haven’t seen John ______ seven years.
• I lived in Brighton ____ the 1980s.
• I saw him ____________ last week.
• I went to America ______ 1997.
• Please submit all documents ______________ five pm (at the latest).
• See you __________ week.
• See you ___________ Tuesday
• The Cup Final will be ____________ a week.
• The meeting starts _______ ten to seven in the evening.
• There are three meetings __________ this week.
• We had an argument _______ the morning.
• We will need a new house _______ five years (at the latest).

 

Business topics for practice of time expressions

Choose three topics from here and roleplay a meeting with those three things on the agenda.  

• accounts
• aim/ target/ goal
• arrangements (invitations, meetings, etc)
• breaks
• budgets/ spending
• changes/ trends
• conference/ trade show/ trade fair
• contracts
• days off/ leave
• deadlines/ time limits
• delays
• guarantees/ warrantees
• hours (e.g. part-time hours)
• invoice/ payment
• launch
• limited time…/ special offers
• long-term…/ short-term…
• new…
• now/ in progress/ unfinished…
• opening/ closing
• orders/ purchases
• overtime
• plan (e.g. restructuring plan)
• predictions/ forecasts
• progress
• projects
• recruitment
• regular…
• renegotiating
• rental
• retirement
• scrapping/ replacing…
• shifts
• socialising (parties, etc)
• sponsorship
• temporary…
• the next…/ the … after next
• training
• travel/ journey/ visit/ tour/ guests
• update/ renewal/ renovation