English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate » Unit 61: Time: connecting words and expressions

Word List
  • earlier on
  • following
  • formerly
  • immediate
  • in the meantime
  • meanwhile
  • previously
  • prior to
  • simultaneously
  • subsequently
  • thereafter
  • very (time/moment)
  • during
Exercises

61.1 ‣ Look at these pages from the personal diary of Laura, a businesswoman who travels a lot, and then do the exercise.

Fill the gaps with time expressions from A and B opposite. You are given the first letter.

  1. P to going to Manchester, Laura was in Paris.
  2. Her next trip after Glasgow is to Dublin on the 24th. I_____ t_____ m_____, she can relax at home.
  3. She was away for a week. S_____, she had lots of emails to deal with.
  4. She was in Glasgow on the 15th. E_____ o_____, she had been in Manchester.
  5. She went to the theatre in Paris on Monday. P_____ t_____ that, she had been to the Pompidou Centre.
  6. F_____ her visit to Nick, she saw a bad accident on the motorway.
  7. On Sunday, she had a lot of phone calls d_____ the day.
  8. The m_____ she put the phone down it rang again. This time it was George.

61.2 ‣ Rewrite the words in bold using words or phrases from opposite.

  1. I emailed James and got a reply straight away.
  2. I will contact you at a time I can't specify to arrange to get together to discuss things. _____
  3. The two committees were meeting at exactly the same time. _____
  4. I was living in Budapest when I was offered the job in Paris. _____

61.3 ‣ Read the comments and then answer the questions.

Gunilla: 'I was in Oslo throughout the summer. Josep visited me during that time.'

Edward: 'I was in Athens for a week, then in Rome for two weeks thereafter.'

Kim: 'At the very time I was in Rome, Edward was in Rome.'

Liba: 'I was in Athens in October, but I didn't see Edward on that occasion.'

Josep: 'I visited Hamburg; at a later stage I went to Berlin.'

  1. Which two people were in the same place at the same time?
  2. Did Liba see Edward when she was in Athens? Yes/No _____
  3. Did Gunilla spend part of the summer or all summer in Oslo? _____
  4. Where did Josep go first - Berlin or Hamburg? _____
  5. How many weeks in total did Edward spend in Athens and Rome? _____
  6. Did Josep spend the whole summer in Oslo or probably just part of it? _____

61.4 ‣

Over to you

Complete the sentences so they are true for you.

  1. The moment I wake up, I
    _____
  2. Throughout my childhood I
    _____
  3. I’m doing vocabulary right now. Earlier on, I was
    _____
  4. Prior to going on holiday, I always
    _____
Answer Key
A ‣ One thing before another

I had written to her prior to meeting the committee. (formal/written style)

It was nice to be in Venice. Previously I'd only been to Rome. (fairly formal, more informal would be Before that, I ...)

I was in the office from 2.30. I was out earlier on. [before then; fairly informal]

The street is now called Treetop Avenue. Formerly it was Hedge Lane. (fairly formal, typically written; used when something has changed its name, state, etc.)

Dinner will be ready in about an hour. In the meantime / Meanwhile, relax and have a drink. [between now and the time of the meal]

B ‣ Things happening at the same time

She was entering (at) the very time / the very moment I was leaving. (these two are stronger and more precise than as or just as)

The two events happened simultaneously. [started and ended at exactly the same time]

During the war, she lived in Dublin. Throughout the war, food was rationed.

Language help

During does not specify how long within a period of time. Throughout means from the beginning to the end of a period of time.

C ‣ One thing after another

Read this personal statement by someone hoping to work for an international corporation in China. The words in bold are rather formal.

Following1 my first visit to Beijing, I read several books about China and subsequently2 decided to take a six-month course in Mandarin Chinese. I revisited China on several occasions thereafter3 and now feel that I have a good knowledge of the country and its culture.

1 after
2 at some time after that
3 after finishing the course

Note also immediate (adjective), e.g. The government removed the price regulations and the immediate result was a 10% price rise. [which happened at once]

D ‣ Time when

The moment / The minute I saw his face I knew I'd met him before.

I stayed in that hospital the time (that) I broke my leg.

I met Paula at Mark's wedding. On that occasion she was with a different man. (more formal)

E ‣ Non-specific time expressions

We can discuss the budget now. At a later stage we can discuss the detailed arrangements.

At some point we will have to replace our computers, but we're OK for the moment. [at an unspecified time in the future]

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