Understanding how to reference past events clearly is essential for fluent English communication. The word that serves as a powerful tool to connect ideas and refer back to specific moments, periods, or sequences in the past. Mastering this skill will help you sound more natural in conversations, interviews, and storytelling.
How can you use that to talk about a period of time in the past?
When you want to mention something about a specific period of time, you can use that combined with time expressions like at that time [0:42]. For example, if you are talking about the '80s — the decade between 1980 and 1989 — you could say:
- "Walkmans were very popular at that time."
Here, at that time replaces the need to repeat "the '80s." This structure keeps your sentences clean and avoids redundancy. The phrase at that time is commonly used to refer back to a previously mentioned era or span of time.
How do you refer to a single event in the past?
You can also use that to point back to one specific event [1:17]. Imagine you attended an amazing concert last week. Instead of repeating all the details, you simply say:
- "That day was so memorable."
The expression that day connects directly to the concert you already mentioned. This technique is especially useful in storytelling and interviews, where referring back to key moments keeps the conversation flowing naturally.
What about a sequence of events?
When describing multiple events in order, that helps you link them together [1:38]. Consider this example:
- "I hiked in the morning, and after that, I watched the sunrise."
- "Before that, I watched the sunrise."
The expressions after that and before that establish a clear timeline. You first mention the main event — hiking the mountain — and then add what happened before or after. This is the concept of a sequence of events, where that acts as an anchor connecting different actions in chronological order.
How does Emma use that in her job interview?
A practical example comes from Emma's job interview [2:08]. She explains her professional background using these structures naturally:
- She joined an American company in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Since it was still okay to fly at that time, she traveled frequently to New York City and Chicago to meet clients.
- Before she joined the American firm, she worked with two local companies.
Emma's use of that demonstrates how these expressions work in real professional contexts. She references time periods, single events, and sequences smoothly, which helps the interviewer follow her story.
What can you learn from Emma's example?
A key takeaway is this true or false question from the lesson [3:38]: "Emma joined an American company in 2019. By that time, she had already worked for two other companies." The answer is true. The expression by that time means "before that specific moment," indicating she had prior experience at two local companies before 2019.
Notice how by that time combines with the past perfect tense (had already worked) to show that one event happened before another. This pairing is very common in English and strengthens your ability to describe past experiences with precision.
How can you practice these expressions?
Try building complete sentences using these five prompts [4:17]:
- At that time.
- After that.
- Before that.
- That day.
- That week.
For example: "I graduated in 2015. At that time, I was living in a small town." Or: "I finished the project on Friday. That week was incredibly busy."
Using that to reference the past is a simple but effective strategy that makes your English sound more connected and natural. Share your practice sentences in the comments and keep building your confidence with these everyday expressions.
