Talk about time used without a useful result.
The idea
Waste time means use time without a useful result. Follow it with on and a noun or an -ing verb.
Examples
- We waste time looking for our keys.
- She wasted time waiting for the wrong bus.
- Do not waste time on that broken printer.
- He wastes time when he checks every message.
- The team wasted an hour on a bad plan.
- I do not want to waste your time.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic English voice on your device. Quality and availability vary; it does not assess pronunciation.
No English device voice is available. You can still read the examples.
Watch out
Do not say lose time on doing here; say waste time doing or waste time on something.
Try it yourself
Choose the missing word. Do not ___ time searching that empty box. (waste / save)
Show answer or example answer
waste
waste follows do not in its base form.
Choose the missing word. Our neighbour ___ time reading every advertisement. (wastes / waste)
Show answer or example answer
wastes
wastes matches the singular subject.
Choose the missing word. Yesterday we ___ time at the wrong address. (wasted / waste)
Show answer or example answer
wasted
wasted shows the action happened yesterday.
Practice round
Answer questions and rebuild English sentences to practise. Your score is shown.
Choose the missing word. Do not ___ time searching that empty box. (waste / save)
Choose the missing word. Our neighbour ___ time reading every advertisement. (wastes / waste)
Choose the missing word. Yesterday we ___ time at the wrong address. (wasted / waste)
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
Sign up for free to save your practice results.
Sign up to saveI already have an accountUse it today
Describe a situation in which you wasted time.