When do you use the phrase all the time, and when do you use all the times?
Usually we say “all the time” but “all the times” can also be correct.
In general, you use all the time to talk about something that happens always or usually in your life or the world. For example, you might say, “I wake up early all the time.”
You use all the times to talk about something that happens multiple times. For example, you might say, “Please let me know all the times you are available.”
All The Time
If something happens often or habitually, we can say “all the time.“
It also means something that happened the entire situation.
Example Sentences with “All The Time”
“I’m busy all the time.” (which means “I’m always busy.”)
Many people think that it rains in Ireland all the time.
“I have to do the housework all the time.”
“In all the time I was fishing, I never saw a single sea creature.”
“My coworker is in a bad mood all the time.”
All the Times
If you are talking about a specific number of times or something that happens multiple times, you say, “all the times.”
Please note that native English speakers rarely use “all the times.” Instead, they might choose to say “every time.”
Here is the word frequency in books according to Google Ngrams:
Example Sentences with “All The Times”
This has happened all the times I’ve tried to do it.
“In all the times I went fishing, I never saw a single sea creature.”
“Of all the times I met my coworker, she was in a bad mood.”
“In all the times I’ve been to this restaurant, I’ve only eaten one nice dish.”
Every Time
We use the expressions “every time” to talk about each individual time something happens.
Native speakers naturally say “every time” instead of “all the times,” so where possible, you may be able to replace “all the times” with “every time.”
Example Sentences with “Every Time”
“I wake up early every time I have a test.”
“Every time I walk to college, it rains.”
“My husband calls me every time he finishes work.”
“The dentist gives me a free toothbrush every time I go.”
“Every time I met my coworker, she was in a bad mood.”
“Every time I went fishing, I never saw a single sea creature.”
The Whole Time
We can also use “the whole time” to talk about something that happened the entire time, or during a specific time period.
Example Sentences with “The Whole Time”
“She was crying the whole time we were on the phone.”
“I was at the party, and I didn’t talk to him the whole time.”
“Many people think that it rains in the UK the whole time.”
“When I had a baby, I was busy the whole time.”
“I have to do the housework the whole time.”
“My coworker is in a bad mood the whole time.”
Is there any difference between “all of the time” and “all the time?”
We can say “all of the time” to mean “all the time.” Both are correct, but “all the time” is the shorter, more commonly-used idiom.
Can we say “whole the time” or “whole the times?”
We can’t say “whole the time” or “whole the times.” This is always incorrect. We can say “the whole time” to mean the entire time.
Is there any difference between “all time” and “all the time?”
“All-time” is an adjective that describes something as “all the time up to now.” For example, “Bridget Jones’ Diary was an all-time bestseller in the 90s” or “she holds the all-time record for best female swimmer in the Olympics.”
Practice Questions
- Please let me know all the ____________ you are available. (all the times/ all the time)
- That happens all the ____________. (all the times/ all the time)
- I take the subway to work all the ____________. (all the times/ all the time)
- He laughed all the ____________ we were together. (all the times/ all the time)
- You can’t be right all the ____________. (all the times/ all the time)
- We go the cinema all the ____________. (all the times/ all the time)
- It rained all the ____________ I went to Ireland. (all the times/ all the time)
- We can’t be together all the ____________. (all the times/ all the time)
- People go surfing all the ____________ in California. (all the times/ all the time)
Answers
- Please let me know all the times you are available. (all the times/ all the time)
- That happens all the time. (all the times/ all the time)
- I take the subway to work all the time. (all the times/ all the time)
- He laughed all the times/time we were together. (all the times/ all the time)
- You can’t be right all the time. (all the times/ all the time)
- We go to the cinema all the time. (all the times/ all the time)
- It rained all the times I went to Ireland. (all the times/ all the time)
- We can’t be together all the time. (all the times/ all the time)
- People go surfing all the time in California. (all the times/ all the time)
You may also be interested in: 15 Best Online English Courses Free & Paid (2022)
In Conclusion
We can say “all the times” or “every time” to talk about individual moments.
We use “all (of) the time” to mean something that happens often.
We can say “the whole time” to mean the entire duration of a specific time period, in other words, the entire time.
I hope you found this article helpful. If you did, be sure to share it with your friends! Any questions? Be sure to let me know in the comments below!
I'm an Irish tutor and founder of TPR Teaching. I started teaching in 2016 and have since taught in the UK, Spain, and online.
I love learning new things about the English language and how to teach it better. I'm always trying to improve my knowledge, so I can better meet the needs of others!
I enjoy traveling, nature walks, and soaking up a new culture. Please share the posts if you find them helpful!
