To Pass Time

Example 1: I usually read a magazine to pass time in the waiting room when I visit the doctor's office.

Example 2: It's 6:00 pm now and the movie starts at 8:00 pm. I think I will walk my dog and finish my homework to pass the time until we go to the theater.

Explanation: to pass time means to do something while you're waiting. In the first example, the speaker is waiting to see the doctor, so he is reading a magazine while waiting. In the second example, the speaker is going to walk her dog and then finish her homework while waiting for the movie.

This idiom is from LSI's "Speaking Transistions," which will be used in the Level 4 Listening/Speaking classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/