in ten minutes / after ten minutes. help me please

Question

Dear TeachersAre both the same?Let’s go in ten minutes.Let’s go after ten minutes. If not. What does “after ten minute” mean. Make a sentence for me.Thanks a lot

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Jacky56LinAre both the same?
Let’s go in ten minutes.
Let’s go after ten minutes.

Yes, they're the same, but very few people say "after ten minutes". It's more natural to say "in ten minutes".

CJ

Jacky56Lin · Answer

Thank you Teacher CalifJim

Minutes and hours are a small part of a day.

I want to enlarge the time as afternoon or tomorrow morning or next week.

Let’s go (in) tomorrow morning. In is necessary?

How big time range we don’t need (in) before a time?

Let’s go in the afternoon /in afternoon / afternoon. Which are correct?

Let’s go after evening / after next week can make sense?

Thanks a lot.

CalifJim · Answer

There are a few different things that you have to keep separate here.

1. Lengths of time
2. Names of periods of time

1. Here are some phrases that indicate lengths of time.

ten minutes, three hours, two days, a week, a month, five months, a year, seven years

From one point in time to another point in time is a length of time.
From 12:15 to 12:25 is a length of time equal to 10 minutes.
From 4:10 to 5:00 is a length of time equal to 50 minutes.

Use in and a length of time to specify a point in time in the future:

We will start in ten minutes. If it is now 12:30, we will start at 12:40.
The news will be announced in four days. If it is now Monday, the news will be announced at some time on Friday.

We will see the results in three months. If it is now April, we will see the results during July.

Suppose it is 3:15.

in a minute = at 3:16
in two minutes = at 3:17
in five minutes = at 3:20
in an hour = at 4:15
in two hours = at 5:15

Suppose it is Monday.
tomorrow = on Tuesday; or just Tuesday. (no on)

in two days = on Wednesday; or just Wednesday.

in five days = on Saturday; or just Saturday.

in a week = on next Monday (exact) or some time on or after next Monday (not exact).
Also: in a week = next Monday (no on).

Suppose it is April 12.
in a month = on May 12 (exactly) or some time on or after May 12 (not exact).

in two months = on June 12 (exactly) or some time on or after June 12 (not exact).

Suppose it is June 14, 2009.
in a year = on June 14, 2010 (exactly) or some time on or after June 14, 2010 (not exact).

in two years = on June 14, 2011 (exactly) or some time on or after June 14, 2011 (not exact).

With weeks, months and years, we are often not very exact about the time.
________________________

2. Here are some words and phrases that are names of periods of time.

Past: yesterday, last week, last month, last year

Present: today, this week, this month, this year

Future: tomorrow, next week, next month, next year

With these we do not use in.

~~in last week, in next month, in yesterday, in tomorrow~~

_________

Special cases:
Parts of a day: morning, afternoon, evening
Parts of a year (seasons): spring, summer, autumn (or fall), winter

With these we use in the, but in has a different meaning here. Here in means 'during'. This is not the same meaning as shown above in section 1.

in the morning = during the morning
in the afternoon = during the afternoon
in the winter = during the winter

But we don't use in if these are combined with other names of periods of time:

~~in tomorrow morning, in yesterday afternoon~~

Just say: tomorrow morning, yesterday afternoon

There are a lot of different combinations, and it will take some time for you to master them.
_________

Let’s go (in) tomorrow morning. In is necessary? No. It's wrong.

How big time range we don’t need (in) before a time? The time range is irrelevant. See above.

Let’s go in the afternoon ~~/in afternoon / afternoon~~. Which are correct? in the afternoon is the only correct one. Here in means 'during'.

Let’s go ~~after evening~~ / after next week after evening is not used. You can say after 7 o'clock or after 8 o'clock or anything like that. after next week is fine.
Let's go next week. ~ Let's go in a week.
Let's go after next week. ~ Let's go in two weeks or later.

CJ

Jacky56Lin · Answer

Hello Teacher CalifJim

It takes me a lot and a lot of time to finishing reading it.

I know you must spend more and more time to write these wonderful explanations.

Nothing special that I can say, but Thank you very much and very much.

I don’t understand as below.

“tomorrow = on Tuesday; or just Tuesday. (no on)” >> What does “just Tuesday“ mean?

1. Names of periods of time >> Future: tomorrow, next week, next month, next year >> how about this >> let’s go next hour/minute.

Thanks again.

Dimsumexpress · Answer

Hi Jacky56,
I have a few comments which I hope can help you as far as understanding natural English is concerned. To me, CJ is good as *** as far as explanation is concerned. His last post couldn't be any more clear. If you still have problem understanding the examples, my suggetion is that you spend a little more time with materials written my natives.

Let's go next hour/ minute - is not something a native would say.

Maybe: Let's leave in one minute/ in one hour

CalifJim · Answer

Jacky56LinI don’t understand as below.
“tomorrow = on Tuesday; or just Tuesday. (no on)” >> What does “just Tuesday“ mean?

Suppose it is Monday. All of the following have the same meaning.

Let's go tomorrow.
= Let's go on Tuesday.
= Let's go Tuesday. (just Tuesday = only the word Tuesday, not two words on Tuesday.)

just is another word for only.
There is only one apple on the table = There is just one apple on the table.
_____________

Jacky56Lin1. Names of periods of time >> Future: tomorrow, next week, next month, next year >> how about this >> let’s go next hour/minute.

No. hour and minute are used with a different pattern: Let's go in a minute. Let's go in an hour. I don't know why. I suppose those are considered too short to be considered names of periods of time.

CJ

Jacky56Lin · Answer

Hello Teacher CalifJim and thank you dimsumexpress

One more question as below:

Wait for/ x a minute. Are both same?

Wait in a minute. Here in means during or …?

Wait in a minute. Vs. I will go in a minute. “In” of both seem different, right?

Thanks again.

CalifJim · Answer

Jacky56LinWait for/ x a minute. Are both same?

I take it that x means "no word". Yes, both are the same. "for" is optional.

Jacky56LinWait in a minute. Here in means during or …?

This form is not possible as a substitute for "Wait for a minute". "in" means nothing. It's wrong.

CJ

Jacky56Lin · Answer

Finally I got it , I understand "wait in a minute" is not a correct sentence, it never exists. Now I know it would be two sentences. “ Please wait! in a minute something will start....!”

Thank you very much Teacher CJ.

CalifJim · Answer

Jacky56Linit would be two sentences.

Right.

CJ

in ten minutes / after ten minutes. help me please

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions