Meaning & use
work half day
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Meanings
phraseintransitive
to spend only half of a normal working day at work, usually either the morning or the afternoon.
Grammar: Used without an object; it often appears with a time expression: I'm working a half day on Friday.
Patterns
- work a half day
- work half a day
- be working a half day
I'm working a half day tomorrow so I can go to the dentist.
She worked half a day and then went home sick.
Many employees work a half day on Fridays in the summer.
nouncountable
a period of about four hours of work, often half of a standard working day.
Grammar: Usually written as two words 'half day' and used with 'a': a half day, two half days.
Patterns
- a half day
- a half-day session
- take a half day
The training is only a half day, so we'll finish by noon.
I'd like to take a half day on my birthday.
They offer a half day of paid leave each month.
Word forms
| third person singular | works a half day |
|---|---|
| past tense | worked a half day |
| past participle | worked a half day |
| -ing form | working a half day |
| plural noun | half days |
Common combinations
- work a half day on Friday
- I usually work a half day on Friday.
- take a half day
- Can I take a half day next Tuesday?
- a half-day workshop
- The conference includes a half-day workshop.
- work half a day
- He worked half a day and then left.
Synonyms and how they differ
- work part-time
- This means working fewer hours regularly, not just for one day.
- work a short day
- This is less specific and can mean any day shorter than usual.
- work a half shift
- This refers to half of a shift, which may be more or less than half a day.
Opposites
Word family
- half-day adjective
- Used before a noun to mean lasting half a day: a half-day tour.
Commonly confused: work half day or half day?
work half day vs half day
As a noun phrase, 'a half day' refers to the period itself, while 'work a half day' is the action of working during that period.
Practice
I'm ______ a half day tomorrow to attend a wedding.
Choose one answer.
After 'I'm', we need the -ing form 'working' for the present continuous. 'Work' would be the base form and does not fit after 'am', 'works' is third-person singular, and 'worked' is past simple, which clashes with 'tomorrow'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “work half day”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.