Learn English – “at the time” and “at that time” usage and differences

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Are the expressions "at the time" and "at that time" interchangeable?

What are the differences between the two? How do use them?

Best Answer

The phrase "at that time" establishes a reference to the context of this phrase (e.g "The great War was fought in the beginning of the 20th century. At that time,....") , relating it to the time, of the event being discussed in the context preceding this phrase. But the phrase "at the time" is usually followed by an explicit time reference, usually by using the simple preposition "of" (e.g "At the time of the Great War...") which separates the time reference from the preceding context and adds it after the phrase. It is seldom used without the preposition "of" and usually refers to a comparatively less specific instant of time, than "that time".