TIME TRANSITIONS - Advanced
As soon as– immediately after
You can play video games as soon as you finish your homework.
I’ll call you as soon as I finish eating dinner.
______.
At last / Finally -- After waiting for a very long time
After a long wait, the traffic began to move at last.
After a long wait, the traffic finally began to move.
At last! My package has arrived!
______.
At this point / At this time / At the moment / At this juncture / At present
At this point we don’t need a new refrigerator (but we might later).
At the moment it’s beautiful outside (but the weather could change…).
At this point he’s the best baseball player in the world.
At present there’s no one as talented as him.
______.
By the time --“By the time” means “sometime before we reach this point in time” an action will happen
NOTE: “By the time” is often used with the Perfect Tenses (have____, had_____, or will have _____) to show that an action has been completed.
I want you to clean your room by the time I come home.
By the time I got home, they had already started watching the movie.
By the time I went to high school I had already passed the GEPT.
I had already passed the GEPT by the time I went to high school.
By the time I start high school I hope I will have passed the GEPT.
I hope I will have passed the GEPT by the time I start high school.
______.
Eventually – After a long time, after a long wait, in the end
After working his whole life at the same company, he eventually became the manager.
The caterpillar will eventually turn into a butterfly.
It took me a long time, but I eventually finished the book.
______.
Ever since – similar to “since”
I’ve had a limp ever since my accident.
It’s been raining ever since we got here!
Ever since I moved to Taiwan I’ve been a vegetarian.
______.
From then on – “starting from this point” / “starting from this time”
From then on, the prince and princess lived happily. (從那時起,王子與公主就幸福地生活在一起。)
He had a bad accident last year; he’s been in the hospital from then on.
I read a book about meat factories and from then on I’ve been a vegetarian.
I read a book about meat factories and I’ve been a vegetarian from then on.
______.
In between ______s
1.) between 2 events
Could you call me in between classes?
The baseball teams will take a short break in between games.
2.) don’t have the next one yet / haven’t gotten the next one yet
We’re in between teachers right now, so we can’t open a new class.
The band is in between guitar players; they’re holding auditions now.
She’s in between boyfriends at the moment, but I’m sure she’ll have a new one soon.
______.
Meanwhile… -- At the same time (but in a different place)
Jon was working at a gas station. Meanwhile, his sister was studying to be a doctor.
Jack shot the ball and won the game for his team! Meanwhile, his dad was still stuck in traffic, unable to see his son’s proudest moment.
Sarah traveled the world and met new people and enjoyed new adventures. Meanwhile, back at home, her parents thought about her often and wrote her letters every day.
______.
Soon afterward / soon thereafter – soon after something happens
I came to Taiwan in July, and my friend arrived soon afterward.
I came to Taiwan in July, and my friend arrived soon thereafter.
DNA evidence showed that the prisoner was innocent, and he was released soon afterward.
The prisoner was released soon thereafter.
I sat on the couch and fell asleep soon afterward.
I ate a big dinner and fell asleep soon thereafter.
______.
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