Today, take a minute to think about time and how to talk about it in English.
What do people do with time?
- spend time on things
- devote time to things
"Devote" is similar to "spend" but seems more thoughtful and purposeful. - waste time
(But not you, of course!) - be out of time
This means that there's no more time left to do something. - bide your time
This means to wait patiently but alertly for something that you want. - manage your time
- check the time
What do things or activities do with time?
- take time
- eat up your time
Things that you don't want to do which take a long time "eat up" your time. - help the time pass
When you're bored or waiting for something to happen, activities like reading, playing games, and so on "help the time pass".
What does time itself do?
- time passes
- time elapses
"Elapse" is a scientific-sounding way to say "pass" - time flies
There's a famous saying, "Time flies when you're having fun." - time drags
When you're bored, time seems to "drag", or go really slowly. - time slips away
This sounds sad. - time heals all wounds
This is a famous traditional expression commonly used to try and console people going through sadness or disappointment (A Year of English)