Time & Sequence Fillers: Keep Talking Fluently

Collocations are combinations of words that frequently appear together and sound natural to native speakers. Understanding and using collocations effectively can enhance your CELPIP speaking score by making your speech sound more fluent and coherent. In this lesson, we focus on time and sequence fillers that help you organize your thoughts and maintain the flow of your speech.

#	Word	Definition	Example
1	initially	at the beginning	Initially, I planned to study abroad, but...
2	first of all	the first thing to consider	First of all, we need to address the budget issue.
3	to begin with	starting with	To begin with, let's look at the advantages.
4	in the beginning	at the start of a period	In the beginning, I found it challenging, but...
5	at first	at the start, before something changed	At first, I was hesitant, but then I realized...
6	meanwhile	at the same time	Meanwhile, the other team was preparing their presentation.
7	simultaneously	occurring at the same time	The events happened simultaneously, causing confusion.
8	in the meantime	during the intervening time	In the meantime, I will work on the report.
9	next	coming immediately after	Next, we should consider the environmental impact.
10	then	after that	Then, we moved on to discuss the budget.
11	subsequently	after a particular thing has happened	Subsequently, we decided to change our strategy.
12	later on	at a time in the future	Later on, we can explore other options.
13	afterwards	after an event or time	Afterwards, we celebrated our success.
14	eventually	in the end, especially after a delay	Eventually, we reached a consensus.
15	finally	after a long time or at the end	Finally, I would like to thank everyone for their efforts.
16	at last	after much delay	At last, we completed the project.
17	in conclusion	to sum up	In conclusion, I believe this is the best course of action.
18	ultimately	fundamentally or eventually	Ultimately, the decision is yours.
19	in the end	after everything has been considered	In the end, it was a successful venture.
20	beforehand	before an action or event	I prepared my notes beforehand.
21	prior to	before	Prior to the meeting, I reviewed all documents.
22	earlier	before the present time	I mentioned this earlier in the discussion.
23	previously	at a previous time	Previously, I worked in a different industry.
24	by the time	when something happens	By the time we arrived, the event had started.
25	as soon as	immediately after	As soon as the results are in, we will inform you.
26	once	when something happens one time	Once we complete this task, we can move on.
27	as long as	during the time that	As long as we stay on schedule, we will finish on time.
28	whenever	at any time	Whenever you need help, feel free to ask.
29	while	during the time	While I was studying, I realized the importance of time management.
30	as soon as possible	at the earliest opportunity	Please send the document as soon as possible.
31	from now on	starting at this moment	From now on, I will be more punctual.
32	till then	until that time	I will wait for your response till then.
33	in due course	at the appropriate time	We will address this issue in due course.
34	forthwith	immediately	The decision was implemented forthwith.
35	henceforth	from this time forward	Henceforth, all meetings will be virtual.
36	hereafter	from now into the future	Hereafter, we will focus on quality.
37	thereafter	after that point	Thereafter, the policy was revised.
38	in the interim	in the meantime	In the interim, we will use temporary staff.
39	at the same time	simultaneously	We need to address these issues at the same time.
40	as of now	starting from this moment	As of now, the new regulations are in effect.

Usage Groups

For Speaking Tasks

• Initially, first of all, to begin with, in the beginning, at first

• Meanwhile, simultaneously, in the meantime, next, then

• Subsequently, later on, afterwards, eventually, finally

For Describing Opinions

• In conclusion, ultimately, in the end, beforehand, prior to

For Structuring Responses

• Earlier, previously, by the time, as soon as, once, as long as

• Whenever, while, as soon as possible, from now on, till then

Example Sentences:

1. "Initially, I thought it was a bad idea, but subsequently, I realized its potential."

2. "In the beginning, we faced several challenges, but ultimately, we succeeded."

3. "First of all, we need to gather more data; meanwhile, we should also prepare our presentation."

4. "Eventually, we will need to make a decision, but for now, let's focus on gathering information."

💡 Pro Tip: Using time and sequence fillers helps you maintain a logical flow in your responses, which is crucial for high scores in CELPIP speaking tasks. Practice using these fillers in your daily conversations to sound more natural and fluent.

Common Mistakes

• Wrong: At firstly, we should consider the costs.

• Right: First of all, we should consider the costs.

• Wrong: In the meanwhile, I will complete the task.

• Right: In the meantime, I will complete the task.

By mastering these collocations, you can enhance the coherence and fluency of your CELPIP speaking responses.

🎯 Key Takeaways

✓Understanding and using time and sequence fillers can significantly improve the fluency and coherence of your CELPIP speaking responses.

✓Time and sequence fillers help in structuring responses, describing opinions, and maintaining a logical flow in conversation.

✓Common mistakes include using incorrect phrases like 'at firstly' instead of 'first of all', which can affect the naturalness of speech.

✓Practicing these collocations in daily conversations can help you sound more natural and fluent, which is crucial for high scores in CELPIP speaking tasks.

📝 Quick Quiz

1. Which of the following sentences uses a time and sequence filler correctly?

2. How can time and sequence fillers enhance your CELPIP speaking score?

3. Which of the following is NOT a correct use of a time and sequence filler?

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Opinion Expressions: Agreeing & Disagreeing

Academic Collocations: Words That Go Together in Texts