Common Time Prepositions

So if we’re clear on those basics let’s go on to some other basics before we get into some slightly more difficult stuff.

Some phrases I want to just make sure you’re absolutely clear on these basic prepositions at by around about and within their basic their basic.

But we need to make sure we’re clear on how to use them.

Let’s just burn through some examples.

That means we’re going to go really fast.

Here we go.

That is for exactly when something happens on the clock usually.

So at 7:00 at 7:00 p.m. a.m. whatever.

I have a meeting.

I have a meeting.

OK.

Pretty simple at 7:00.

Could be another time could be at 7:00.

Seven twenty three whatever.

Why would you do something at seven.

Twenty three.

Anyway at seven I have a meeting.

OK.

Please give it to me by Friday.

This one’s interesting.

What does bi mean BI is like before plus on.

If you say give it to me on Friday it means Thursday Wednesday.

These are not OK if you say give it to me before Friday means Friday is not OK anytime before.

OK.

Not Friday.

If you say give it to me by Friday it means Wednesday Thursday Friday.

They’re all OK.

Including Friday.

So buy is really useful if you say I’ll be there by 6:00.

It means no later than 6:00 no later than six.

Could be five thirty could be five 20.

Could be 558 could be six including six.

OK so if we say then around.

If I if I say I’ll be there I’ll be there around six thirty.

This is very then mysterious six thirty is like this.

Oh when is it exactly.

Is it six twenty.

Is it six fifteen.

Is it six twenty five.

Is it six thirty.

Is it six forty.

Yeah all around that.

So around and about are very similar.

They’re often used in this way to be less clear.

It’s not as clear as at.

And it’s not as clear as bi because at least by bi we know what the latest time is.

So we can say around when we want to be general when we want to be general and we often use around and about when we’re talking about our memory.

For example I could say at at about 5:00 we went out to eat.

That was maybe yesterday at about 5:00.

We went out to eat about we could also say we could also use around five as well.

That’s fine.

We could say about we could say around.

That means that my memory is not so clear.

I wasn’t checking my watch when we left to go out to eat.

Maybe I and some of my co-workers went out to eat.

When did we go on the food.

I was around.

I was around five maybe about five.

OK.

So that’s how we use that.

Either we’re going to be late.

We don’t know when we’re going to arrive or we don’t remember very clearly about around.

OK now what about within here.

We have within within 20 minutes everyone was asleep OK.

So if we say everyone was asleep by 6:00 20 we arrived home at 6:00 and everyone was asleep by a 6 20.

That means the last person to fall asleep maybe fell asleep at 6 19.

Anyway six twenty everyone was sleeping OK.

So before or at six 20 but if we say within 20 minutes then we’re talking about this duration this period.

Do you are 80 I O N.

All right that more clearly because that’s not very clear D.

You are a t i o n this duration of time is not a time on the clock.

Usually it’s often how many minutes how many hours 20 minutes within 20 minutes everyone was asleep.

That means maybe the first person fell asleep at 6 0 5 the second person fell asleep at maybe 6 10.

The third person fell asleep at 6 12.

The fourth person fell asleep at 6 17 and the last person fell asleep at 6 20.

So within 20 minutes so we can use it like that.

Talk about durations time periods.

I hope it’s clear how we use at by around about and within to talk about time.

This is pretty easy stuff.

I know.

Just want to make sure it’s very very clear in your mind so that you have no doubt when you want to actually use them.