Improve your Vocabulary: English word pairs about TIME

If you're lost, you can look and you will find me, time after time.

Hey, everyone.

I'm Alex.

Thanks for clicking, and welcome to this lesson on some common word pairs or expressions with time.

So, not just the word "time", but different expressions we use to indicate time, or different

expressions or word pairs we use to talk about how long something takes, or when something happens.

So, first we're going to look at five, and then we're going to look at another five,

and each time we go over one of these word pairs I'll give you an example sentence, and

I want you to, you know, see if you can guess the meaning of this expression from the context,

and then I will tell you the actual definition of, you know, what this expression or this

word pair means.

So, let's not waste any more time and let's begin.

Number one: "then and there".

The sentence is: "I was hired then and there."

Now, if you know the meaning, obviously, of "then", at that time;

and "there", in that place - it means at that moment.

Okay? So at that exact moment.

At that moment.

So, imagine you go to a job interview in this case and the interview goes very well, sometimes

the person who does your job interview says:

"Okay, we'll... We'll call you back and we'll let you know."

But sometimes if they know that you're the right person for the job, they will tell you

when... They will ask you, actually: "When can you start?" and they will hire you on the spot,

they will hire you then and there, in that moment.

Okay?

So that's what "then and there" means, at that moment.

Or: "She kissed me then and there.", "I was hired then and there."

Next: "sooner or later".

Sooner or later.

"You'll have to do it sooner or later."

So, most of us I think don't like washing dishes or we don't like doing the laundry,

and we just look at it in the corner, you know, telling ourselves: "Okay, we will do it.

Not now, later. Later."

Okay?

And maybe, you know, somebody will tell you:

"Okay, can you...? Can you do it now? Because you will have to do it sooner or later."

And in this case it means eventually.

Okay?

So, to say something a little more serious: "Sooner or later we're all going to die."

You know, it's going to happen.

It's going to happen.

That's not the happiest memory or the happiest image, but you know, I think you get the meaning.

Sooner or later.

"Wait and see".

Very simply: "Let's wait and see what happens."

This just means let's be patient.

Be patient.

Okay?

So, if you are watching a movie with a friend and your friend wants to know what happens

next in the movie because you have seen the movie before, and your friend's like:

"Oh, what happens next? What happens next?"

And you just say: "Wait and see.

Okay? Just wait and you will see what happens next."

So, just be patient.

Now, the final two on the first board are very similar: "now and then", "from time to time".

Both of these, if you look at the sentences:

"I talk to him now and then.",

"She reads biographies from time to time."

What do you think these expressions mean?

Sometimes, that's right.

So, infrequently or sometimes.

Sometimes.

Another word, maybe might be new for some of you guys: "infrequently", not frequently,

and these are interchangeable.

Okay?

So: "now and then", "from time to time".

"We go to restaurants from time to time.", "We go to restaurants now and then.",

"I read mystery novels from time to time.", "I read mystery novels now and then."

-"How often do you call your mom?"

-"Now and then.", -"From time to time."

Okay?

So, we have: "then and there", "sooner or later", "wait and see",

"now and then", "from time to time".

And now let's look at five more.

So, magic.

Ooo.

Hwah!

Okay, so the next five.

First: "quick and easy".

"The test was quick and easy."

So, something that doesn't take a lot of time, is not very difficult, basically let's just say

very easy.

Doesn't take time, doesn't take a lot of effort.

So, often, if you like to cook and you see recipes on the internet or in a cookbook,

you know, some of the cookbooks are called: "Quick and Easy Recipes".

So, a quick and easy recipe for pancakes, for example.

Okay?

So something that doesn't take a lot of time and something that is simple, not complicated.

The final four are all very much related to making progress.

So, think about your own progress in English and learning a new language.

Now, to learn a new language you should go "slowly but surely".

So: "He's improving slowly but surely."

So, you're doing something slowly, it's not fast, like learning a language takes time,

but if you go watch videos or study your books or listen to movies, you will definitely,

like, surely...

Slowly but surely, definitely improve.

So this just means gradually.

You will gradually improve.

Okay?

So let's go slowly but surely, slowly but surely.

Next: "slow and steady".

"Don't rush!

Just go slow and steady."

So, you see: "slowly but surely", "s but s", "slow and steady", "s and s".

Basically, they both mean gradually or without rushing.

So, I'm just going to write without rushing, not rushing.

And if you're sitting there watching me, saying: "What is 'rush'?

What does 'rushing' mean?"

To rush means to do something quickly, very, very fast.

Okay?

So: "Don't rush. Just go slow and steady."

Steady, like calmly, at a regular pace.

Not, like, fast, slow, fast, slow, but the same pace.

You're very focused.

Okay.

Next: "little by little" and "step by step".

Oo, baby.

You guys know what I'm talking about.

So: "Little bit little, we're getting there."

Same as here: "Slowly but surely", gradually, "little by little", this is also an Oasis song.

"Little by little", something, something.

I can't remember.

If you know, let me know in the comments.

And finally: "step by step".

"Just go step by step."

So, you take steps when you walk.

Right?

So if you do something step by step by step, you start at the bottom and you maybe keep

walking up, or you are at the beginning of a very long journey, a very long trip, and you...

How do you get to the end?

How do you reach your goal?

Step by step by step by step.

Okay? So, gradually.

So, those are a lot of expressions, 10 of them in fact, and if you'd like to

test your understanding of all of this stuff today,

as always, you can check out the quiz on www.engvid.com.

And I really, really recommend...

You know, these are very, very common things that we use in everyday conversation, so make

sure you master them, take your time, go slow and steady, slowly but surely,

and step by step you will see your English improve.

All right?

So once again, check out that quiz.

And til next time, thanks for clicking.

See ya.

If you-[hums]-time after time.