The idea for the Describing Words engine came when I was building the engine for Related Words (it’s like a thesaurus, but gives you a much broader set of related words, rather than just synonyms). While playing around with word vectors and the «HasProperty» API of conceptnet, I had a bit of fun trying to get the adjectives which commonly describe a word. Eventually I realised that there’s a much better way of doing this: parse books!
Project Gutenberg was the initial corpus, but the parser got greedier and greedier and I ended up feeding it somewhere around 100 gigabytes of text files — mostly fiction, including many contemporary works. The parser simply looks through each book and pulls out the various descriptions of nouns.
Hopefully it’s more than just a novelty and some people will actually find it useful for their writing and brainstorming, but one neat little thing to try is to compare two nouns which are similar, but different in some significant way — for example, gender is interesting: «woman» versus «man» and «boy» versus «girl». On an inital quick analysis it seems that authors of fiction are at least 4x more likely to describe women (as opposed to men) with beauty-related terms (regarding their weight, features and general attractiveness). In fact, «beautiful» is possibly the most widely used adjective for women in all of the world’s literature, which is quite in line with the general unidimensional representation of women in many other media forms. If anyone wants to do further research into this, let me know and I can give you a lot more data (for example, there are about 25000 different entries for «woman» — too many to show here).
The blueness of the results represents their relative frequency. You can hover over an item for a second and the frequency score should pop up. The «uniqueness» sorting is default, and thanks to my Complicated Algorithm™, it orders them by the adjectives’ uniqueness to that particular noun relative to other nouns (it’s actually pretty simple). As you’d expect, you can click the «Sort By Usage Frequency» button to adjectives by their usage frequency for that noun.
Special thanks to the contributors of the open-source mongodb which was used in this project.
Please note that Describing Words uses third party scripts (such as Google Analytics and advertisements) which use cookies. To learn more, see the privacy policy.
Which one is correct:
- Submit your work in time.
- Submit your work on time.
RegDwigнt
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asked Mar 22, 2011 at 17:49
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«In time» usually has an implicit «for (some event)», whereas «on time» means «before some deadline».
The «event» could be a deadline, but in that case «on time» is much more common.
Examples:
«I got there in time for the parade»
«I delivered the report in time for him to read it before the meeting»
«I got to town in time (for)/(to catch) the last train»
«I got there in time» — meaning «in time for some event which is assumed to be known».
but
«I got there on time» — meaning «before the deadline» — which may be known to the hearer, but does not need to be, because the phrase itself implies a deadline as opposed to some other event.
answered Mar 22, 2011 at 18:15
Colin FineColin Fine
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On time means at a particular designated time, i.e. neither especially early nor late. The train is scheduled to arrive on time at 13:36.
In time means early enough, i.e. before a deadline or another cutoff. Passengers were required to be at the gate by 3:05pm; we didn’t get to the airport till 3, but there was no line at security, so we still made it in time.
RegDwigнt
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answered May 5, 2012 at 4:40
chosterchoster
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In this case, «on time» is the proper choice.
More details about the differences:
«In time» is used to suggest that I was able to perform an action before another event occurred:
I was able to reach you in time.
The difference between «in time» and «on time» would be deadlines or schedules that revolve around very specific date or hour:
The train was on time.
The project was completed on time.
Of note, the phrases can also be used in other unrelated contexts:
(in music) Step in time.
Dorian Gray was stuck in time.
answered Mar 22, 2011 at 17:57
MrHenMrHen
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Without further reference, on time is probably a better construction. A time has been set (a deadline) and the task will be done by then.
The project was scheduled for three months and it came in on time.
In time is usually used to refer to being completed in relation to something else.
I arrived at home in time to see my children before they left for school.
answered Aug 1, 2012 at 17:36
bibbib
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It seems to be the prepositional phrase for xxx that makes the difference. If I say,
Please submit your paper in time.
You may ask
In time for what?
But if I say
Please submit your paper on time.
You might ask
When is it due?
answered Mar 22, 2011 at 23:00
kojirokojiro
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The two are both proper grammar. However, they carry different meanings. «Let the task be done on time.» implies it to be completed by a certain time (usually a scheduled deadline) and no later. «Let the task be done in time.» implies the task should be completed by the specified time.
Let’s use different verbs: «Let the task be started on time.» implies it to be started at a certain time and no earlier. «Let the task be started in time.» implies the task should be started by the specified time and no later.
Because of limited context, it is hard to say which would fit this case better.
answered Aug 1, 2012 at 17:34
American LukeAmerican Luke
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You would use «on time» to mean by a certain specific date an time. «In time» describes an event in which the chronology may not be that explicit.
Papers are due on 11/15 by noon. All students are expected to submit their papers on time.
Do you think we can get help on this project in time for it to be useful?
answered Mar 22, 2011 at 17:55
RobustoRobusto
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Time of action can be moment in time or period in / of time when an action takes place.
Time of action: words describing time for future actions
Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, tonight, in two seconds / minutes / days, next +noun etc.
next + noun
Combinations:
Next time / Tuesday / weekend / week / month / year / century
in + noun
Combinations:
In a(n) second / minute / year / hour; in 2 years
Time of action: words describing time for past actions
yesterday, the day before yesterday, two seconds / minutes / days ago etc.
last + noun
Last Tuesday / weekend / week / month / year / century
noun + ago
a second / minute / year ago; an hour ago; 2 years ago
Time of action: words describing time for present actions
Today, now, at this moment, at the moment, this morning (if it’s still morning at the time of speaking), this year
this + noun
This Tuesday / weekend / week / month / year / century
Time for future and past actions
today, this month
At + time
At 1-12 o’clock, 1:45 etc.
On + weekday
On Sunday, Monday – Saturday
After / Before + noun , verb+ing
After lunch, before doing my lessons
Interestingly, some present tenses can express future actions. So, signal words describing actions in the future will also be in use here. I will give you just a quick example:
What time do you leave tomorrow? (scheduled time)
More on present simple future actions
Common signal words we use for future, present, and past tenses
today, this month / year / week
I will do it today
They did it today
I am doing it today
More on introduction to tenses:
More on Introduction to Tenses:
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
What you will learn:
- What are adverbs of time?
- How do we use them?
- 35 adverbs of time: A-Z list with examples
- Adverbs of time: exercises
What are adverbs of time?
We use adverbs of time to give information about when something happens. Adverbs of time can tell us about how often, how long or the time period when something occurs.
1.Frequency (how often?)
Some adverbs of time give us information about how often something happens. The adverbs in this group include: hourly, daily, weekly and monthly. They tell us that something happens ‘every day’ (daily) or ‘every month’ (monthly). These adverbs can also function as adjectives.
When used as an adverb the most common sentence position is after the verb. When used as an adjective, words like ‘daily’ appear before a noun. Compare the two examples below:
| Adjective (describes the noun) | Adverb (describes the verb) |
| My hourly rate is fifteen pounds. | As a babysitter, I am paid hourly. |
2. Relationships in time
This group of adverbs is used to compare periods of time. They allow the speaker to compare time periods or to clarify when something happened. Adverbs like previously, lately, earlier, recently and before give more information about when an action happened.
3. Points of time
These adverbs fix events in time. They include adverbs such as tonight and tomorrow. They allow the speaker to give specific information about when something happened. They may include adverb phrases, such as: the day before yesterday.
4. Now and then
These two adverbs are commonly used and have many different functions in a sentence. Now suggests that we are doing something at this moment. We tend to think of then as referring to the past, but it can also refer to the future, depending on the context. It just means ‘at that time’. Compare these two examples:
I lived in Germany then. (past)
I’ll be living in Germany then. (future)
6. Past, present and future
Adverbs of time can also show us whether the action is happening in the past, present or future.
| Past | Present | Future |
| Yesterday, last year, just, before, previously, recently | Still, today, now | Tomorrow, soon, next week, later |
But, be careful! The use of adverbs of time depends on context, so some of these adverbs can refer to the past, present or future. For example, we think of the word today as referring to the present, but it can also refer to the past or the future. Compare the following sentences:
I am feeling happy today. (present)
I bought lots of books at the shop today. (past)
I’m going to see my friend Sally today. (future)
7. Adverbials of time
An adverbial of time is a phrase that functions in the same way as an adverb of time. It gives more information about the verb. Some examples are:
I lived in France for a year.
I have lived in London since 2001.
How do we use them?
1. Sentence position
Adverbs of time usually occur at the end of a clause. They appear after the main verb.
Subject + main verb + adverb of time
e.g. I went swimming today.
The position of the adverb does not change in a negative sentence:
Subject + main verb + adverb of time
e.g. I didn’t swim today.
Adverbs of time can also be placed after the object.
Subject + main verb + object + adverb of time
e.g. I haven’t read the book yet.
An adverb of time cannot be put between a verb and its direct object. So we cannot say:
I haven’t read yet the book. (wrong!)
Adverbs of time can appear at the beginning of the sentence to emphasise when something happened.
Adverb of time + Subject + main verb + object
E.g. Eventually, I arrived at the hotel.
E.g. Today, I am going to finish my essay!
Only a few adverbs of time from this list can appear before the verb. Adverbs that can appear in this position include: recently, finally, eventually and previously.
Subject + Adverb of time + main verb + object
E.g. Andrew eventually arrived at the station.
2. Word order: How long? How often? When?
Adverbs of time can express how often something happened, when and for how long. To make a sentence with more than one time adverb, follow the order: How long? How often? When?
| How long? | How often? | When? | |
| I take/took my dog for a walk | for an hour | daily | last year |
| I go/went on holiday | for a week | Four times | every year |
| I work(ed) online | for five hours | Every week | last year |
Example i. How long? How often?
- I take my dog for a walk for an hour each day.
Example ii. How long? When?
- I go on holiday for a week every year.
Example iii. How long? How often? When?
- I worked online for five hours every week last year.
Example iv. How often? When?
- I go on holiday four times every year.
3. Word order with more than one adverb
In a sentence with adverbs of time AND place, the adverb of place appears before the adverb of time:
e.g. I went out yesterday.
e.g. I’m staying indoors tomorrow.
4. Later
The adverb later can appear in three different sentence positions: at the beginning of the sentence, at the end of the sentence, or before the verb. Compare the examples below:
- Later, I went to the cinema.
- I went to the cinema later.
- I later went to the cinema.
In the final sentence, positioning the adverb before the verb adds more formality. This sentence position is used to report something that has happened. We often find it in stories or official reports, e.g. She later remembered that she had seen the man approaching the bank.
35 Adverbs of degree: A-Z list with examples
Ago
I lived in France a long time ago.
He gave up smoking ages ago.
Already
Where is the cake? Oh, I have already eaten it!
Have you finished your coffee already?
Annually
She renews her house insurance annually.
Are you going to get a pay rise? I’m not sure. My pay is reviewed annually.
Before
Who is that? I don’t know. I have never seen him before!
Yes, I have told you that before!
Daily (every day)
I take a vitamin pill daily.
The milkman delivers milk every day.
Early
They got seats on the train because they arrived early.
He always gets up early.
Eventually
She found her purse eventually.
Eventually, the cat climbed down from the tree.
Put an adverb of time at the beginning of the sentence when you want to emphasise when something happened, e.g. Finally, I understand how adverbs work! This adds more emotion to the sentence.
Finally
He finally passed his driving test.
Finally, I would like to thank my mother and father.
First
First, he started running as a hobby, but then he decided to enter a race.
He arrived at the party first.
Formerly
That hotel was formerly a school.
I formerly wrote to you regarding my complaint.
The adverb formerly has a similar meaning to previously. It describes a situation that was different in the past. This word is not used much in spoken English. It is mainly used in printed texts, such as newspaper reports.
Fortnightly (every 2 weeks)
She visits her grandmother fortnightly.
The finance department met fortnightly to set budgets.
Hourly
The London Ghost Tour sets off from here hourly.
When her mother was ill, she checked her temperature hourly.
Just
I’ve just remembered where I put the key!
Why are you so late? Sorry, I have just walked back from the station.
Last
When did you see her last?
I last saw Helen in the summer.
Late
I planned the trip carefully, but I still arrived late.
The shops are open late on Fridays!
Lately
I haven’t slept well lately.
Have you read any good books lately?
Long
I’m going to the shop. I won’t be long.
I’ll be with you in a moment. Sorry this is taking so long.
Monthly
Most office workers are paid monthly.
My mother has her windows cleaned monthly.
Next
I’d like to visit Italy next.
When I next saw her, she was driving a red car.
Nightly
The security guard has to organise a patrol around the site nightly.
She has to take a sleeping pill nightly.
No longer / not any longer
She no longer believes in the tooth fairy.
He doesn’t live with his mum any longer.
Now
I think I’d like to go home now.
She now realised why the door was locked.
Now, let’s see if we can find your missing hat!
The examination has finished. Please, stop writing now.
Previously
I previously worked as a receptionist.
Previously, she lived in a small house on the other side of town.
Recently
I have recently moved to the neighbourhood.
What have you been doing recently?
Quarterly (4 times a year)
My favourite magazine is published quarterly.
The company publishes its financial results quarterly?
Since
I had an argument with Steven and I haven’t seen him since!
Jan moved to Edinburgh in 2000 and she has lived there ever since.
Soon
I hope we will be able to meet up again soon.
How soon can you fix my car?
The adverbs that tell us the number of times an action happens, such as daily, weekly and annually can also be used as adjectives (e.g. a daily routine). An adjective occurs before a noun, whereas these adverbs of time usually go at the end of a clause.
Still
Oh! You have still got that old car!
I can still remember my first day at school.
Then
If you wait until the summer, the weather will be better then.
Just then, there was a loud knock at the door.
Today
I saw my friend Sheila today.
Today, there are a lot of social problems in our big cities.
Tomorrow
I will do my homework tomorrow. Honestly!
Tomorrow, I’ll pick you up after work.
Tonight
Let’s go out tonight!
I really enjoyed the party tonight.
Yearly
She meets up with her school friends yearly.
The interest is added to my bank account yearly.
Yesterday
Mum and Dad went on holiday yesterday.
Yesterday, there was a huge crowd in town.
The adverb yet is only used in negative sentences and questions. It refers to something which has not happened or we think has not happened. Use it to ask questions: Have you finished with that book yet?
Yet
I haven’t done my university application yet.
The application has not yet been received.
Exercise 1
- Which one of the following pairs are adverbs of time?
- quickly and slowly
- this and that
- now and then
- here and there
- Which one of these adverbs suggests a definite time?
- yesterday
- later
- ago
- since
- Which one of these sentences is correct?
- I’m going tonight to the cinema.
- I’m going to the cinema tonight.
- I haven’t go to the cinema since last week.
- I’m going to the cinema since.
- Which adverb of time is spelled incorrectly?
- quarterly
- nightly
- tomorow
- later
- Which one of the following is an adverb of time?
- timely
- early
- near
- latest
Exercise 2
Match the adverb on the right with the phrase on the left.
- I am meeting my friend Pat _____________. a. weekly
- I _____________ haven’t phoned my Grandma. b. recently
- I usually get paid _____________. c. yet
- I haven’t been eating well ______________. d. still
- I haven’t finished my homework ___________. e. tomorrow
Exercise 3
Choose the best adverb to complete each sentence.
- ____________, we arrived at the hotel.
a. Nightly b. Finally c. Lately - I have never eaten lobster ___________.
a. already b. just c. before - It was unusual for Steve to arrive ___________.
a. early b. quarterly. c. soon - She could _____________ play the piano when she was five.
a. previously b. next c. already - Have you been skiing ___________?
a. yesterday. b. before c. soon
Exercise 4
- Which sentence tells us that the person has finished reading the book?
- I eventually read the book.
- I still haven’t read the book.
- I read the book daily.
- I’ll read the book soon.
- Which sentence refers to an event that has already happened?
- I haven’t booked my holiday yet.
- I still haven’t booked my holiday.
- I’ve just booked my holiday.
- I’m booking my holiday.
- Which one of these adverbs of time has a similar meaning to previously?
a. first b. early c. formerly d. lately - Which one of these time adverbs can be used to talk about the future?
a. already b. soon c. yesterday d. late - Which sentence tells us about an event that happens very often?
- I get a bonus annually.
- I get paid monthly.
- I drive to work daily.
- I go to the supermarket weekly.
————————————————————————————————————–
Answers:
Exercise 1
- now and then
- yesterday
- I’m going to the cinema tonight.
- tomorrow
- early
Exercise 2
- tomorrow
- still
- weekly
- recently
- yet
Exercise 3
- Finally
- before
- early
- already
- before
Exercise 4
- I eventually read the book.
- I’ve just booked my holiday.
- formerly
- soon
- I drive to work daily.
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Judith P.
— ESL Tutor.
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There are many words and expressions to refer to time. You can use these to sequence events and to make stories and anecdotes more interesting.
The present – permanent
Use the present simple tense to refer to permanent situations in the present.
I now live in a small town.
Nowadays I live in a small town.
These days, I don’t have much of a social life.
The present – temporary
Use the present continuous tense to refer to temporary situations in the present.
At present / At the moment I’m living in a small town.
For the time being I’m living in a small town, but I hope to move soon.
Talking about a period of time in the past
My mother started work as a nurse in the 1960s.
In those days she lived in London.
Back then nurses were badly paid.
At that time, nurses lived in special accommodation.
Talking about a single event in the past
At one time she lost her door key and had to stay in a hotel.
On one occasion she nursed the son of a famous politician.
Sequencing events in the past
There are many ways to sequence events in the past. Here are some of the more common ones.
After (in the middle of a sentence)
Afterwards / After that / After a while (at the beginning of a sentence)
Then / Before (in the middle or at the beginning of a sentence)
Before that / Previously / Until then (At the beginning of a sentence)
By the time (in the middle of a sentence followed by a past perfect tense)
By then / by that time (at the beginning of a sentence)
I went shopping after I finished work.
I worked all day in the office. Afterwards / After that, I went shopping.
I went shopping. After a while, I got bored.
I worked before I went shopping.
I went shopping at 6pm. Before that / Previously / Until then I had worked all day in the office.
I worked all day, then I went shopping.
I was desperate to go shopping by the time I had finished work.
I worked until 6pm. By then / By that time, I was glad for the opportunity to go shopping.
Other expressions to refer to the next event in a story
Later on
Before long
At that moment / Suddenly
Meanwhile
At the same time
Simultaneously (a more formal way of saying meanwhile / at the same time)
I worked and then went shopping. Later on I met some friends for pizza.
I waited for a while in the restaurant. Before long, the waiter came up and asked me…
At that moment / Suddenly, I heard the door slam.
Meanwhile / At the same time / Simultaneously my phone started to ring.
People who are no longer “around”
An ex-president = no longer the president: “The ex-president of France is still influential.”
A previous / former boss: “A previous boss taught me how to make presentations.”
“My former boss now works for a different company.”
My late wife = my wife who has died: “My late wife painted watercolours.”