Word Usage – ‘Thank You for Spending/Putting/Taking Your Time’ Differences

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I wonder if you could let me know which one of the listed sentences below is more appropriate for thanking someone when the spend some time to help you?

Is there any uncommon or unidiomatic sentence between them that doesn't sound natural to you? If yes, please that explain me.

  • Thank you for spending your time helping / to help me me.
  • Thank you for putting your time helping / to help me me.
  • Thank you for taking your time helping / to help me me.

To me, all the sentences above mean the same, but I need to know what do you think about their connotations?

Thank you.

Best Answer

Thank you for spending your time helping / to help me.

This is fine. Our time is ours to spend, so "spending your time" makes perfect sense.

Thank you for taking your time helping / to help me.

This is not quite right. We wouldn't say "taking your time", it should be:

Thank you for taking the time to help me

I guess you don't take something that is already yours. This expression "taking time" means buying out time to do something.

You could take "Putting your time" and use it like so;

Thank you for putting your time toward helping me / helping me out

Since you are putting your time somewhere, a directional word like "toward" completes the phrase.

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