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Tutor Zach McLaughlin 's Column

Quick tips: have + time vs. spend + time

Jun 25, 2024

To talk about the quality or duration of your experiences, you can use “have + (quality adjective) + time” or “spend + (length adjective) + time.” For example…


I had a (good/great/wonderful etc.) time in Hawaii.

I had a (bad/awful/terrible/etc.) time in Hawaii.

I spent a long time in Hawaii.

I spent a short time in Hawaii.


Avoid saying “I spent a good time in Hawaii.”


Bonus: You can also use the informal phrase “to have a blast” to say that you had a great/fun time, as in “I had a blast at the party last weekend!”


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