I saw him at the time of going

Status
Not open for further replies.

billamama

Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
I post almost similar question before and it was nswered. but this time it is more confusing plese check the following sentence

"I saw him at the time of going"

is it convey the messaage that when I was going somewhere I saw a person?
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
No, you can't use the phrase "at the time of going."

Were you getting ready to go somewhere?
I saw him as I was leaving.

Did you see him while you were out somewhere?
I saw him while I was out.
 

paul.moss

Junior Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Iran
To mean that, I would say one of these:
Going (to work), I saw him.
I saw him as/when/while I was going (to work).
 

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
I can imagine uses for "at the time of going".;-)
 

2010

Member
Joined
May 29, 2010
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
English
Home Country
India
Current Location
India

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States

sarat_106

Key Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2008
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Oriya
Home Country
India
Current Location
India
I can imagine uses for "at the time of going".;-)

You can imagine the use of the moment. What to do and what not to do at the time of going to some place.
At the time of going=during the time of your movement.
You can not see that time or moment, but you can think something or take something with you.
You can think something at the time of going to some place, as;
Some pleasant memories flashed in my mind at the time of going to the meeting place .
You can take something at the time of going to some place; as:
Please take some tissue paper at the time of going to toilet.
 

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
Some pleasant memories flashed in my mind at the time of going to the meeting place . This is a nice example from sarat_106. It's a phrase which I can imagine in a poetic/literary context.
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
... which I can imagine in a poetic/literary context.

But you are not advocating saying "I saw him at the time of going" in general conversation, right?
 

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
But you are not advocating saying "I saw him at the time of going" in general conversation, right?

Probably not, no.
 

billamama

Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
You can imagine the use of the moment. What to do and what not to do at the time of going to some place.
At the time of going=during the time of your movement.
You can not see that time or moment, but you can think something or take something with you.
You can think something at the time of going to some place, as;
Some pleasant memories flashed in my mind at the time of going to the meeting place .
You can take something at the time of going to some place; as:
Please take some tissue paper at the time of going to toilet.
Thanks for your lucid explanation, thanks a lot :)
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Please note that as a native speaker I find the examples in the post above highly unnatural and I would never say them. Additionally if I read them I would assume the writer was a non-native speaker. I really urge you to not use "at the time of going" in normal conversation.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top