Spend Doing Something

What Does “Spend Doing Something” Mean?

In English, we often use the phrase spend + time/money + doing something to talk about how we use our time or resources. It’s a common verb pattern that helps describe activities you dedicate time to.

Example:

• I spent two hours reading last night.
• She spends a lot of money buying clothes.
• They spent the whole day hiking in the mountains.

Structure

The basic sentence structure is:

Subject + spend/spent + [time/money] + [verb + -ing]

Notes:

• Use spend for present tense and spent for past tense.
• The verb after the time/money phrase must be in the -ing form (gerund).
• You can also say spend time on something, but that uses a noun instead of a verb.

Common Mistakes

❌ Incorrect: I spent two hours to read.

✅ Correct: I spent two hours reading.

Remember: After “spend,” always use the -ing form—not the infinitive.

Practice Sentences

1. We spent the weekend cleaning the house.
2. He spends every morning jogging in the park.
3. How much time do you spend watching TV?
4. They spent all their savings traveling around Europe.