ENGLISH
REFERENCE

in time for sth

prep. phr..
B1 Intermediate Oxford

prep. phr.. arriving or happening early enough for a specific event or purpose.

prep. phr.. denoting arrival or completion within a sufficient margin of time to allow for a subsequent event or deadline.


SIMPLE

We arrived in time for the start of the movie.

CONTEXTUAL

I hope the package arrives in time for my mother's birthday party tomorrow.

COMPLEX

The legal team submitted the revised documents just in time for the judge's final review before the weekend recess.

Usage

often used with 'just' to emphasize a narrow margin; 'sth' is usually a noun or a gerund.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'on time' (punctual/at the scheduled hour); 'in time' focuses on the deadline or the event that follows.

Pitfall

I arrived on time for the dinner.I arrived in time for the dinner.while 'on time' means punctual, 'in time for' is the standard phrase used to show you weren't too late for a specific event.

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