ENGLISH
REFERENCE

x times a day

fixed phr..
A1 Beginner Oxford

fixed phr.. You use this to say how many times something happens during one day. For example, 'twice a day' means two times in a day.

fixed phr.. A formulaic adverbial phrase of frequency, where 'X' is a cardinal number, indicating the number of occurrences within a single day.


SIMPLE

You should take this medicine three times a day.

CONTEXTUAL

To stay hydrated in this heat, the doctor advised me to drink water at least eight times a day.

COMPLEX

The old clock, a relic from a bygone era, was designed to chime its melancholic tune precisely four times a day on the quarter-hour.

Usage

Replace 'X' with a number; use 'once' for one time and 'twice' for two times.

Teaching tip

Teach this structure alongside other frequency phrases like 'every day', 'once a week', and 'twice a month' to build a lesson around time and routine.

Pitfall

He eats three time a day.He eats three times a day.When the number is greater than one, 'time' must be plural ('times').

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