matter of time: meaning and explanation
If you say that it is just/only a matter of time until something happens, you are saying that it will definitely happen - the only thing you are unsure about is when/how long it will take.
For example - imagine you know someone who is a very dangerous or careless driver. You are sure that at some point he will have an accident. You might say - it's just a matter of time until he has an accident.
We can also use this expression to talk about things that happened in the past. Looking back, we can see that it was always certain to happen. e.g. He was always a very difficult child, so it was only a matter of time until he got in serious trouble.
Have a go at these micro-dictation exercises to hear this expression being used in context – how much can you understand?
Listening exercises
Dictation #1
Accent: Ireland
About the sentence
...until he settles down with someone...
The phrasal verb to settle down means that your life becomes more stable and fixed, usually in terms of starting a family, or moving to a home or area in which you expect to stay for a long time.
Dictation #2
Accent: England (RP)
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Dictation #3
Accent: Northern England
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Extra practice
Here are some questions/links to help you learn the new vocabulary:
- Are you certain about something happening, but are unsure about when it will happen? Talk about it using this expression.
- Can you think of anything that happened (to you, or in general) which was inevitable/just a matter of time?
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