I had to be there in time. vs I had to be there on time.

Both phrases are correct, but they have slightly different meanings. 'I had to be there on time' is the more common and idiomatic expression, meaning that you needed to arrive at a specific time. 'I had to be there in time' could also be correct depending on the context, but it emphasizes the need to be present before a certain event or deadline.

Last updated: April 01, 2024 • 833 views

I had to be there in time.

This phrase is correct depending on the context. It emphasizes the need to be present before a certain event or deadline.

This phrase is used when emphasizing the importance of being present before a specific event or deadline. It implies a sense of urgency or necessity to arrive before a certain time.

Show examples from the web [+]

Want to be there in time for this barbecue.
That's the other thing I'm offering you, a chance to be there in time.
I'll be there in time for the lessons.
I'll be there in time for the kill.
And if we hurry, we can be there in time for rehearsal.
I had an appointment at 2:30, but I got caught in traffic and couldn't get there in time.
Look, man, if I hadn't spotted Starla - there's no way we would have gotten there in time.
I couldn't get there in time.
It's our only chance to get there in time.
I'm just glad I got there in time.
Let's hope we get there in time.
I can't get there in time.
Fingers crossed it gets there in time.
It won't explode if we get there in time.
McGee, we can't get there in time.
You're lucky we got there in time.
NCPD and emergency rescue workers are en route but eyewitness accounts suggest they may not get there in time.
I managed to get there in time.
We couldn't get there in time.
We'll never get there in time.

Alternatives:

I had to be there before the meeting started.
I had to be there ahead of time.

I had to be there on time.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to express the need to arrive at a specific time.

'I had to be there on time' is a common expression used to convey the necessity of arriving at a specific time, without being late.

Show examples from the web [+]

Just please be there on time.
You tell her Jake'll be there on time.
You need to promise me you'll be there on time.
I told Abby I'd be there on time.
The man said, "Next Sunday is the baptism. Be there on time." Death appeared as he had promised, and served as godfather in an orderly manner.
I'm driving there now, but I don't know if I'll be there on time.
I'll be there on time, yes.
If I'm going to be there on time, I have to be up at five a.m.
You'll find this fighter force and get there on time.
Just get him there on time.
It's more important that you get there on time.
And broke my neck to get there on time.
Get the money there on time.
Yet you weren't there on time.
And we still got them there on time.
I can't be there on time if I'm getting bad information.
I'll make sure she gets there on time.
Gemma's going to kill me if we don't get the girls there on time.
Hopefully, get the money there on time.
All I'm saying is that this guy isn't going to be happy if we are not there on time.

Alternatives:

I had to be punctual.
I had to be there at the scheduled time.

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9).

"Thank you!"
Sachi Nakama July 2024
"I have literally been through chat, PI, claude, bard and bing and I got conflicting answers! Thank you! Human intelligence reigns!"
Retha July 2024
"Faster than AI"
CYNTHIA December 2023
"This was very helpful and I personally think this site is the best."
Kaden October 2023
"It was extremely thorough and very helpful!"
imperialelisa October 2023
"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"
Zubair Alam October 2023
"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."
Selena October 2023
"Without textranch I would be stuck!"
宏祐 October 2023
"Accuracy and fast response. Personal comments from editor. Thank you."
Clh September 2023
"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"
Arturo September 2023
"The fact that you can get reliable fast feedback on your texts."
Vinicius Antonio August 2023
"you guys are better than grammarly i'm being honest here"
ordinary July 2023
"OMG! This is really good than any other text correction tools I've used so far. Highly recommend this."
Vehan July 2023
"Very fast and accurate. thank you."
mojtaba July 2023
"I love this app because it's help to writing skills all of students ♥️"
Tarisini July 2023
"This was exactly the mistake I was looking for, the wording dind´t sound right at first. Better than grammarly!"
Ente July 2023
"The immediate help that I received was reassuring and very satisfactory. Thanks."
priiiyanshuu July 2023
"this helps A LOT for my studies."
kathnunez02 June 2023
"Woow!! I would never have expected such precision! Thank you soooo much!!"
Berta June 2023
"Real Time Editor and not AI. Many Thanks."
Priya June 2023
"The very first thing excites me about Textranch is how much your editors care."
sepideh June 2023
"The fact that texts are checked by human editors rather than by AI, etc. I appreciate this!"
Анна June 2023
"Feel welcome, immediate response, high quality feedback"
martin.roy June 2023
"This is the best app that I have ever seen"
Burulai May 2023

I had to be there in time. vs I had to be there on time.