English Prepositions Difference between IN TIME and ON TIME
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hi everybody my name is Alisha in this
lesson I’m going to talk about the
differences between in time and on time
let’s begin let’s begin with in time the
expression in time we use this
expression to refer to activities with
deadlines or limited time periods for
completion let’s take a look at some
examples so we can see how to use this
phrase first he made it to the station
in time for his train so made it means
like was able to arrive he was able to
arrive to the station he made it to the
station in time for his train this use
of in time before the noun phrase his
train shows us that he in this situation
was able to arrive at the station before
the deadline for his train so his train
has a specific time there’s a specific
time period in which he is able to catch
a train in able to is able to catch his
train rather so using in time shows us
that he was able to do that and we have
a positive sentence here so he made it
to his train he was able to catch his
train let’s look at another expression
or another example of this expression I
finished work in time to watch the
soccer game I finished work in time to
watch the soccer game so here in time
comes before this verb phrase to watch
the soccer game this means I finished
work with enough time to watch the
soccer game so the soccer game there’s a
fixed amount of time a limited time
period that I can watch the soccer game
I finished work
at a point in time that allowed me to
watch the soccer game so I finished work
and there was still time remaining to
watch the soccer game so we use in time
to show that I was still able to do that
thing here it’s with a verb phrase let’s
continue to the next example sentence
this one is a negative
she didn’t arrive at the examination
Center in time to take the test in time
to take the test here we see it’s
another verb phrase in time to take the
test so in time to do this action so
this is the action here as we’ve seen in
each of these example sentences the item
the noun phrase or the verb the activity
comes after the end time expression so
in this case in time to take the test
but remember I pointed out this is a
negative she didn’t arrive at the
examination center in time to take the
test means she didn’t arrive at the
Center with enough time to take the test
so there was a deadline to take the test
there was some limited like period of
time within which she needed to arrive
in order to complete this action however
she did not arrive in time she did not
arrive within that limited time period
or before that deadline and therefore
she did not take the test let’s continue
to another negative example of this they
didn’t get to the concert hall in time
for the show so again here after in time
we see for the show in this case it’s a
noun phrase so we see this is the thing
that was not able to happen we know that
it was not able to happen because of
this negative they didn’t get get means
arrive or come to they didn’t get to the
concert hall in time for meaning they
weren’t able to arrive before the
began or in the limited period that the
show was happening they didn’t arrive in
time to do that so we use in time to
show these sorts of deadlines or that we
weren’t able to do something within the
limited time period that we have to
complete that activity we can also use
this expression in questions for example
are you going to get to the office in
time for your meeting
here we see get again which means like
arrive or come to are you going to get
to the office in time for your meeting
this is a question that’s asking are you
going to arrive at the office with
enough time to join this meeting so that
means a meeting is scheduled there’s
some plan and the speaker is asking the
listener if the listener is going to
arrive with enough time or within this
limited time period to participate in
this activity so we can use this in
questions as well I pointed out
throughout the example sentences to
these noun phrases and verb phrases that
we see after in time so you’ll notice
when we use in time for we followed for
with our noun phrase so we saw in time
for his train or in time for the show in
time for your meeting so these are all
noun phrases when we want to talk about
a verb however
like an action doing some kind of action
we use to with our verb phrase and the
verb is in the infinitive form so we saw
here time to watch the soccer game so
here’s my verb in the infinitive form in
time to watch the soccer game here in
time to take the test so the infinitive
form of the verb is there so when you
use in time please make sure to think
about these two points is it a noun
phrase is it a verb phrase you’re
talking about okay so with this in mind
let’s continue to the second part of
this lesson
on time on time on time the meaning here
is it refers to activities that happen
at the appointed appointed means
scheduled time so on time therefore
implies or we know when we hear on time
that in the past a schedule was set so
we decided on something for example like
transportations or like meeting
schedules class schedules those kinds of
timetables are very commonly used with
on time so on time refers to something
happening at a scheduled time in time
refers to activities with deadlines or
there’s a limited time period to
complete it let’s look at some examples
of how we can use on time then first she
arrived at the office on time so here
what was the action the action was this
arrived she arrived past tense she
arrived at the office on time this shows
us she arrived at the office at the
scheduled time or as scheduled this is
another way to say it she arrived at the
office as scheduled she arrived at the
office at the scheduled time let’s look
at one more we finished work on time
today so we finished work at the
scheduled time today is another way to
say this we finished work on time today
not we finished work in time today I’ll
come back to a point like that in just a
moment but on time shows it was
scheduled another example this one a
negative the game didn’t start on time
the game didn’t start on time
shows us the game was probably late the
game didn’t start on time the game was
supposed to or the game was scheduled to
start at 3 p.m. for example but the game
started at 3:30 for example in that case
we could say the game
didn’t start on time a negative let’s
look at another negative I didn’t turn
in my
homework on time I didn’t turn in my
homework on time so here I did not turn
in my homework but this shows on time
this shows us the action was completed
it was just late so I didn’t turn in my
homework on time at the scheduled time
in other words the homework was due at
10 o’clock I turned in the homework at
10:30 or 11:00 for example so this
sentence I didn’t turn in my homework
means the action just did not happen I
didn’t turn in my homework on time means
the action happened late ok let’s take a
look at a couple other expressions one
he’s on time for his 3:00 p.m. meeting
he’s on time for his 3:00 p.m. meeting
this is something you might hear for
example a secretary or an assistant or
just someone else reporting the
activities of another person he’s on
time for his 3 p.m. meeting this is a
sentence that means the person here he
or she they this person their activities
throughout the day today have led them
to be in a position of being on time in
the future now that’s a very strange way
to say this I know but it means that
person has been doing many things all
day long and so now they know that they
have this 3 p.m. meeting but they’ve
been doing all these other things and
now they’re still okay they’re still
okay to attend this meeting at 3 p.m.
that’s what this implies he’s on time
for a 3 p.m. meeting so this is
typically something that’s used for like
busy people to describe busy people’s
schedules he’s on time for this she’s on
time for that so like you might hear it
used for like a president or a prime
minister like someone that has a very
very hectic or crazy schedule you might
hear people reporting about that person
schedule and that person’s upcoming
activities with something like this ok
we can use this in a question as we saw
with in time for example is the
conference going to finish on time is
the conference going to finish on time
means is the conference going to finish
as scheduled at the scheduled time so
you can see we use on time to refer to
scheduled to like asking questions and
making statements about scheduled things
we use in time to refer to deadlines for
completion of an action I mentioned one
point though I think I talked about it
here we finished work on time today I
mentioned this is one situation where I
might see some like mistakes from
students we finished work in time today
we could say this week we finished work
in time today we finished work in time
today for something else so when you’re
using in time you need to explain the
activity the thing that you were able to
do or not able to do when you’re using
in time when you’re using on time you’re
referring to some past scheduled action
so you don’t always need to explain the
specific thing that you’re talking about
so for example she arrived at the office
on time there was some schedule or every
day she starts work at 9:00 a.m. for
example that’s on time when you’re
talking about in time it may be a good
idea to include it in your sentence here
as I’ve done occasionally in
conversation when the activity is
obvious native speakers will drop that
from end time but you don’t always need
to include it with on time it might be a
good idea to include the activity within
time however so this is a quick
introduction to some differences between
in time and on time and some sample
sentences of course if you have any
questions or comments or if you want to
practice making sentences with one of
these two points please feel free to do
so in the comment section of this video
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again soon bye
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