On time / in time, at the end / in the end

on time = 按計劃的時間，符合時刻表或約定——沒有遲到（“準時”）。常用於火車、公交、會議、課程和截止日期。反義是 late。

• The train left on time, at 8:00 exactly.

  火車準時出發了，正好八點。

• Please be on time tomorrow. The meeting starts at nine.

  明天請準時到。會議九點開始。

• Hai is never on time. He's always ten minutes late.

  阿海從來不準時。他總是遲到十分鐘。

in time = 來得及做某事，或在某事發生之前趕到（“及時”）。兩個常見結構：in time for + 名詞 和 in time to + 動詞原形。反義是 too late。

• We got to the cinema in time for the start of the film.

  我們及時趕到了電影院，趕上了電影開場。

• Will the package arrive in time for Tet?

  包裹能在春節前寄到嗎？

• I didn't get to the station in time to catch the last train.

  我沒能及時趕到車站，沒趕上末班火車。（= 我錯過了火車）

💡快速判斷：問“和計劃相比晚了嗎？”→ on time。問“來得及做某事嗎？”→ in time。

• just in time = 剛好來得及；再晚一會兒就來不及了。
• in good time（主要是英式）= 提早，時間很充裕。
• 單獨用的 in time 還可以表示最終、過一段時間以後——和時間表無關。
• 這兩個短語都不加冠詞：表示這些意思時，不說 “on the time” 或 “in the time”。

• The ambulance arrived just in time.

  救護車及時趕到了。

• We left early and got to the airport in good time.

  我們出發得早，提前到了機場。

• It hurts now, but in time you'll forget about it.

  現在是很痛，但時間長了你就會忘掉的。

at the end (of something) = 在一段時間、一件事或一個地方的最後部分（“在…的末尾、盡頭”）。通常帶 of：at the end of the month / the film / the class / the street。意思明確時，可以省略 of … 部分。

• We pay the rent at the end of the month.

  我們在月底交房租。

• Everyone cried at the end of the film.

  電影結尾時大家都哭了。

• Our house is at the end of the street.

  我們家在這條街的盡頭。（地點：也用 at the end of）

• I'll answer your questions at the end.

  我最後再回答大家的問題。

in the end = 最終、到頭來——經過很長的過程，經歷很多變化、猶豫或問題之後的結果。它通常放在句首或句末，後面不跟 of。

• We couldn't decide where to go, so in the end we stayed at home.

  我們定不下來去哪兒，結果最後待在了家裡。

• The exam was really hard, but in the end I passed.

  考試真的很難，但我最後還是通過了。

• He said he wasn't coming, but he came in the end.

  他說他不來，可最後還是來了。

💡如果後面跟 of，幾乎肯定用 at：at the end of the film，不說 “in the end of the film”。In the end 單獨使用，意思是“最終”。

In the beginning 強調“起初是這樣，後來變了”，和 at first 一樣。At the beginning of + 具體的時間或事物，只是表示它的開頭部分。

• In the beginning, living alone was hard, but now I love it.

  起初一個人住很難，但現在我很喜歡。

• The rainy season starts at the beginning of May.

  雨季從五月初開始。

• At last! The bus is here.

  終於來了！公交車到了。

• ✗The concert started in time, at exactly 7 p.m.

  ✓The concert started on time, at exactly 7 p.m.

  按計劃的時間 → on time。

• ✗I didn't get there on time to see the start of the match.

  ✓I didn't get there in time to see the start of the match.

  來得及做某事 → in time to + 動詞。

• ✗We looked everywhere, and at the end we found the cat.

  ✓We looked everywhere, and in the end we found the cat.

  經過很長過程後的結果 → in the end。

• ✗In the end of the film, the hero dies.

  ✓At the end of the film, the hero dies.

  某事的最後部分 → at the end of。

• ✗Please be on the time.

  ✓Please be on time.

  不加冠詞。