Span & Duration: English Vocabulary List

from a time that has begun a long ago

"This tradition started year one."

"The ancient practice of storytelling has been passed down through generations since the year one of human civilization."

at a point in time as a process or action continues or is being carried out

"We will see progress down the road."

"Investing in renewable energy now will lead to significant environmental benefits down the road for future generations."

a work day that is short compared to total hours of most jobs

"He enjoys bankers' hours."

"Many people dream of having bankers' hours so they can have more leisure time for personal pursuits."

in the end of or over a long period of time

"Healthy habits help in long run."

"Saving money now will benefit you over the long run when you retire."

used to describe a prolonged or indefinite period of time, often implying that something will continue for a very long duration

"We can talk till cows come home."

"You can argue until the cows come home, but I will never change my mind about this."

to last only for a short period of time

"Guests can come and go."

"The temporary exhibition allows visitors to come and go freely throughout the day, enjoying the displays at their own pace."

used to refer to a long passage of time or a significant number of months or years

"Many moons have passed."

"It feels like many moons have passed since I last saw my childhood friend who moved abroad."

at an unspecified point during a series of events or a process

"Somewhere along the line, we lost it."

"Somewhere down the line, the company lost sight of its original mission and began focusing only on profits."

a very prolonged period of time

"I waited a month of Sundays."

"She hasn't visited her hometown in a month of Sundays, so she's eager to go back."

used to say that something has existed or been done for an extremely long time, to the point where its origin or beginning is unknown or forgotten

"People have lived here since time immemorial."

"The indigenous tribes have inhabited these forests since time immemorial, long before any written records existed."