Quick tips: have + time vs. spend + time

Zach McLaughlin

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!”


This column was published by the author in their personal capacity.
The opinions expressed in this column are the author's own and do not reflect the view of Cafetalk.

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