Spend Time (in) Doing Something

Introduction

The phrase spend time (in) doing something is commonly used in English to talk about how someone uses their time. Both forms — with and without in — are correct, but the version without in is more common in modern usage.

Structure

The basic structure is:

• subject + spend/spends/spent + time/money + (in) + verb-ing

Examples:

• She spends a lot of time reading novels.
• They spent the whole afternoon (in) playing chess.
• I don’t want to spend my life (in) complaining.

Key Points

• The word in is optional and often omitted in everyday English.
• You can also use spend time on + noun: “He spends time on homework.”
• The verb after spend time must be in the -ing form (gerund).

Common Mistakes

• ❌ “She spends time to read.” → ✅ “She spends time reading.”
• ❌ “They spent time in watch TV.” → ✅ “They spent time (in) watching TV.”