Time Conjunctions in English

Time Conjunctions in English (How to Talk about When Things Happen)

One of the most important things we do when we speak or write is tell stories: what happened first, what happened next, what was happening at the same time, and what had already happened before something else. To do this clearly and naturally in English, we use time conjunctions.

We don’t just say:

I arrived. It started raining.

We say:

When I arrived, it started raining.

We don’t say:

I finished my work. I went home.

We say:

After I finished my work, I went home.

Time conjunctions help us connect events in time and make our English sound smooth, logical, and fluent — especially in Cambridge exams (B2 First, C1 Advanced) and in storytelling or writing tasks.

In this lesson, you will learn how to use the most important time conjunctions in English:

• before / after
• until / by the time
• as soon as / once
• since
• when / while

What is a time conjunction?

A time conjunction is a word or phrase that joins two parts of a sentence and tells us when something happens. They can appear at the beginning of a sentence, or in the middle of a sentence.

• After she finished her work, she went for a walk.
• She went for a walk after she finished her work.

Before and after

We use before and after to show the order of events.

before – earlier than something else

after – later than something else

Examples:

• Marta and her husband got divorced after only a year of marriage.
• After running a marathon, Sam was completely exhausted.
• Brian worked as a librarian before he started his career in a multinational company.
• You should shake the bottle before you use it.

Until and by the time

These two are often confused, but they do different jobs.

Until – up to the moment something changes

It shows how long something continues.

• The dog sat quietly until Mark came back.
• Heat the soup until all the water evaporates.
• I’ll stay here until you finish.

By the time – not later than that moment

It focuses on the result at a specific time (often with past perfect).

• It was dark by the time we reached the house.
• By the time they arrived at the cinema, the film had already started.
• By the time I got home, everyone had gone to bed.

As soon as

As soon as means: immediately after something happens, with no delay.

• As soon as she finished one email, she started writing another.
• I’ll make you a cup of tea as soon as I finish cooking.
• As soon as she opened the door, she saw that the flat had been robbed.

Once

Once is very similar to as soon as, but often sounds a bit more general or conditional.

• Once I finish this essay, I’ll go out and relax.
• Once you get over this illness, you’ll be immune for life.
• Monica has a problem: once she starts eating sweets, she can’t stop.

Since

Since as a time conjunction refers back to the starting point of a situation. It is very often used with present perfect.

• Laura has known Paul since they were children.
• We haven’t heard from them since April.
• It’s been a long time since I last had my hair cut.

When and while

We use when and while to talk about things that happen at the same time, or when one action interrupts another.

When – at the time something happens

• Pam was shocked when she saw her electricity bill.
• When he feels sad, he listens to classical music.
• I was sleeping when the phone rang.

While – during the time something is happening (often background action)

• The girls were dancing while the boys were playing football.
• They talked about politics while waiting for the train.
• I hurt my back while I was carrying the boxes.

Quick summary

Time conjunctions are essential for storytelling, articles and essays, reports and reviews and any task where you describe sequences of events. Using them well makes your English sound more logical, more fluent, and more advanced.

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