Page 256 - English Grammar in Use

Unit
122 on time and in time at the end and in the end

A on time and in time
on time = punctual, not late
If something happens on time, it happens at the time that was planned:
The 11.45 train left on time. (= it left at 11.45)
Please be on time. Don’t be late.
The conference was well-organised. Everything began and finished on time.

in time (for something / to do something) = soon enough
Will you be home in time for dinner? (= soon enough for dinner)
I sent Amy a birthday present. I hope it arrives in time.
(= on or before her birthday)
I’m in a hurry. I want to get home in time to watch the game on TV.
(= soon enough to see the game)
The opposite of in time is too late:
I got home too late to watch the game on TV.
You can say just in time (= almost too late):
We got to the station just in time for our train.
A child ran into the road in front of the car, but I managed to stop just in time.

B at the end and in the end

at the end (of something) = at the time when something ends
For example:
at the end of the month at the end of January at the end of the game
at the end of the film at the end of the course at the end of the concert
I’m going away at the end of January / at the end of the month.
At the end of the concert, everyone applauded.
The players shook hands at the end of the game.

We do not say ‘in the end of …’ . For example, we do not say ‘in the end of January’.
The opposite of at the end is at the beginning:
I’m going away at the beginning of January. (not in the beginning)

in the end = finally
We use in the end when we say what the final result of a situation was:
We had a lot of problems with our car. We sold it in the end. (= finally we sold it)
He got more and more angry. In the end he just walked out of the room.
Alan couldn’t decide where to go for his holidays. He didn’t go anywhere in the end.
(not at the end)
The opposite of in the end is at first:
At first we didn’t get on very well, but in the end we became good friends.

244 at/on/in (time) ➜ Unit 121