E S L   C O R N E R "Spend" your time wisely

To spend: You probably know that to spend money means to use your money to pay for something. For example, "I spent twenty dollars on a birthday gift for my friend."

The verb "to spend" also commonly refers to the use of other nonmaterial resources, such as one's time or energy.  So, you can describe what you plan to do tomorrow by saying, "I'm going to spend the afternoon shopping."

When we talk about spending energy, we can mean the use of physical strength or abilities of the mind.  You might say, "I spent all my energy studying for the exam, and now I'm very tired."

When someone asks you, "How do you spend your time?" they want to know what you usually do each day, and what your hobbies and interests are.  This kind of question is a helpful way to begin a conversation when you're trying to get to know someone.  A few examples of answers are:

• I spend most of my time at school (or work), but on the weekends I like to play soccer with my friends.
• I enjoy spending time reading comic books.
• I'd like to spend more time with my family.

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