Understanding how to use the word “expires” correctly is crucial for clear and precise communication, especially in contexts involving deadlines, validity, and permissions. Whether you’re discussing a driver’s license, a coupon, or a software subscription, using “expires” accurately ensures that your message is easily understood.
This article provides a detailed exploration of the word “expires,” covering its definition, grammatical structure, various usages, common mistakes, and practical exercises. It is designed for English language learners of all levels, from beginners to advanced speakers, who want to improve their understanding and application of this important verb.
Table of Contents
- Definition of “Expires”
- Structural Breakdown
- Types and Categories of Usage
- Examples of “Expires” in Sentences
- Usage Rules
- Common Mistakes
- Practice Exercises
- Advanced Topics
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Conclusion
Definition of “Expires”
The word “expires” is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb “expire.” It means to come to an end; to no longer be valid after a specific date or time. It indicates the termination of a period of validity, effectiveness, or permission.
“Expires” is commonly used in contexts involving documents, licenses, offers, subscriptions, and products with a limited lifespan.
In grammatical terms, “expires” is a verb. Its function is to describe the action of something ceasing to be valid. The word is often used in statements that specify the end date of something, such as “This passport expires on January 1, 2025.” Understanding its meaning and proper usage is vital for avoiding confusion and ensuring clear communication in both written and spoken English.
Structural Breakdown
The basic structure of a sentence using “expires” typically follows a simple pattern:
Subject + Expires + (Prepositional Phrase indicating the date/time)
The subject is the thing that is expiring (e.g., the license, the coupon). “Expires” is the verb indicating the action of ceasing to be valid. The optional prepositional phrase specifies when the expiration occurs (e.g., “on December 31st,” “in one month”).
For example:
- The driver’s license expires on June 30th.
- This coupon expires next week.
- My subscription expires soon.
The verb “expires” agrees with a singular subject in the present tense. If the subject is plural, the verb would be “expire.” For example, “Our warranties expire next year.”
Types and Categories of Usage
Dates and Times
“Expires” is frequently used to indicate the end date of a specific period. This can be a date, a time, or a combination of both.
Documents and Licenses
Documents like passports, driver’s licenses, and visas have expiration dates. Using “expires” in this context is crucial for legal and administrative purposes.
Offers and Promotions
Coupons, discounts, and promotional offers often have a limited time frame. “Expires” is used to communicate when these offers are no longer valid.
Software and Subscriptions
Software licenses, online subscriptions, and memberships have expiration dates. “Expires” is used to inform users when they need to renew their access.
Food Products
Although “expires” isn’t the most common term for food, it can be used to indicate the date after which the quality is no longer guaranteed. More commonly, terms like “best by,” “use by,” or “sell by” are used.
Examples of “Expires” in Sentences
The following sections provide extensive examples of how to use “expires” in various contexts. Each table includes multiple examples to illustrate the diverse applications of the word.
Dates and Times Examples
This table illustrates how to use “expires” with specific dates and times. The examples demonstrate the range of expressions used to specify the expiration period.
| Example | Category |
|---|---|
| The offer expires on December 24th. | Specific Date |
| The promotion expires at midnight tonight. | Specific Time |
| This certificate expires in six months. | Relative Time |
| The warranty expires on the first of January. | Specific Date |
| Your access expires at 5 PM tomorrow. | Specific Time |
| The free trial expires in 7 days. | Relative Time |
| My gym membership expires next week. | Relative Time |
| The deadline expires this Friday. | Specific Day |
| The agreement expires in two years. | Relative Time |
| The temporary password expires after 24 hours. | Specific Time |
| The limited-time sale expires on Sunday. | Specific Day |
| The early bird discount expires at 11:59 PM. | Specific Time |
| This version of the software expires in 30 days. | Relative Time |
| The grace period expires on October 31st. | Specific Date |
| The introductory rate expires after the first month. | Relative Time |
| The voting registration expires two weeks before the election. | Relative Time |
| The special code expires at the end of July. | Relative Time |
| The evaluation license expires in 90 days. | Relative Time |
| The free shipping offer expires soon. | Relative Time |
| The beta access expires on November 15th. | Specific Date |
| This promotional deal expires tonight. | Specific Time |
| The student discount expires when you graduate. | Relative Time |
| The temporary permit expires at the end of the month. | Relative Time |
Documents and Licenses Examples
This table focuses on the use of “expires” with documents and licenses. These examples are relevant to legal and official contexts.
| Example | Category |
|---|---|
| My passport expires in three months. | Passport |
| Your driver’s license expires next year. | Driver’s License |
| The visa expires on June 15th. | Visa |
| His work permit expires soon. | Work Permit |
| The building permit expires in six months. | Building Permit |
| This fishing license expires at the end of the season. | Fishing License |
| The hunting license expires on December 31st. | Hunting License |
| Her medical license expires in two years. | Medical License |
| The professional license expires next month. | Professional License |
| The security clearance expires after five years. | Security Clearance |
| The pilot’s license expires on his birthday. | Pilot’s License |
| The teaching certificate expires in 2025. | Teaching Certificate |
| The notary public commission expires soon. | Notary Public Commission |
| The business license expires next quarter. | Business License |
| The food handler’s card expires in three years. | Food Handler’s Card |
| The concealed carry permit expires in five years. | Concealed Carry Permit |
| The real estate license expires biennially. | Real Estate License |
| The contractor’s license expires annually. | Contractor’s License |
| The liquor license expires at the end of the year. | Liquor License |
| The import license expires on July 1st. | Import License |
| The export license expires next spring. | Export License |
| The temporary driver’s permit expires in 30 days. | Temporary Driver’s Permit |
| The learner’s permit expires after two years. | Learner’s Permit |
Offers and Promotions Examples
This table presents examples of how “expires” is used in the context of offers and promotions, such as coupons, discounts, and sales.
| Example | Category |
|---|---|
| This coupon expires on Friday. | Coupon |
| The discount code expires tonight. | Discount Code |
| The sale expires at midnight. | Sale |
| This promotional offer expires next week. | Promotional Offer |
| The voucher expires on December 31st. | Voucher |
| The special deal expires soon. | Special Deal |
| This limited-time offer expires in 24 hours. | Limited-Time Offer |
| The early bird pricing expires on July 15th. | Early Bird Pricing |
| The bonus offer expires at the end of the month. | Bonus Offer |
| The free shipping offer expires tomorrow. | Free Shipping Offer |
| This promotional gift card expires in one year. | Promotional Gift Card |
| The introductory price expires after the first month. | Introductory Price |
| The complimentary upgrade expires on August 1st. | Complimentary Upgrade |
| The buy-one-get-one-free offer expires this weekend. | Buy-One-Get-One-Free Offer |
| The flash sale expires in three hours. | Flash Sale |
| This exclusive discount expires on Sunday. | Exclusive Discount |
| The seasonal promotion expires at the end of summer. | Seasonal Promotion |
| The rewards points expire after one year. | Rewards Points |
| The initial signup bonus expires in 30 days. | Signup Bonus |
| The promotional rate expires on the anniversary date. | Promotional Rate |
| The back-to-school sale expires on Labor Day. | Back-to-School Sale |
| The holiday discount expires on January 2nd. | Holiday Discount |
| The anniversary sale expires at the end of the week. | Anniversary Sale |
Software and Subscriptions Examples
This table illustrates the use of “expires” in the context of software licenses and subscriptions. These examples are common in the tech and service industries.
| Example | Category |
|---|---|
| Your software license expires soon. | Software License |
| The subscription expires on March 15th. | Subscription |
| My antivirus software expires next month. | Antivirus Software |
| The trial version expires in 30 days. | Trial Version |
| Your membership expires at the end of the year. | Membership |
| The online course access expires in six months. | Online Course Access |
| The cloud storage subscription expires annually. | Cloud Storage Subscription |
| The digital certificate expires on December 1st. | Digital Certificate |
| The premium account expires next quarter. | Premium Account |
| The streaming service subscription expires soon. | Streaming Service Subscription |
| Your VPN subscription expires in one year. | VPN Subscription |
| The domain registration expires in two years. | Domain Registration |
| The web hosting plan expires next July. | Web Hosting Plan |
| The email marketing subscription expires monthly. | Email Marketing Subscription |
| The stock photo license expires on August 31st. | Stock Photo License |
| The music streaming subscription expires next week. | Music Streaming Subscription |
| The news website subscription expires on the 10th. | News Website Subscription |
| Your magazine subscription expires in the fall. | Magazine Subscription |
| The online gaming subscription expires soon. | Online Gaming Subscription |
| The language learning app subscription expires next year. | Language Learning App Subscription |
| The project management software license expires on July 4th. | Project Management Software License |
| Your graphics software subscription expires this December. | Graphics Software Subscription |
| The accounting software license expires quarterly. | Accounting Software License |
| The database access expires at the end of the month. | Database Access |
Food Products Examples
While less common, “expires” can be used in relation to food products, though “best by,” “use by,” and “sell by” are more typical. This table illustrates this usage.
| Example | Category |
|---|---|
| This milk expires on January 1st. | Dairy Product |
| The yogurt expires in two weeks. | Dairy Product |
| The eggs expire on February 14th. | Eggs |
| This canned food expires in five years. | Canned Food |
| The frozen vegetables expire next year. | Frozen Vegetables |
| The bread expires in three days. | Bread |
| The cheese expires on March 31st. | Cheese |
| These cookies expire next month. | Cookies |
| The juice expires on April 15th. | Juice |
| The medicine expires in six months. | Medicine |
| The vitamins expire next summer. | Vitamins |
| This supplement expires in 2024. | Supplement |
| The baby formula expires on May 1st. | Baby Formula |
| This bottled water expires after two years. | Bottled Water |
| The salad dressing expires in three months. | Salad Dressing |
| The olive oil expires next winter. | Olive Oil |
| These spices expire in one year. | Spices |
| The coffee expires on June 30th. | Coffee |
| The tea expires in two years. | Tea |
| The cereal expires next fall. | Cereal |
| The pasta expires in 2025. | Pasta |
| The rice expires in 2026. | Rice |
| The peanut butter expires next spring. | Peanut Butter |
Usage Rules
Understanding the rules governing the use of “expires” is essential for grammatical accuracy. These rules cover subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, and the correct use of prepositions.
Subject-Verb Agreement
The verb “expires” must agree with its subject. If the subject is singular, use “expires.” If the subject is plural, use “expire.”
- Singular: The license expires on June 30th.
- Plural: The licenses expire on June 30th.
Tense Consistency
Maintain consistent tense throughout your sentences. “Expires” is in the present tense, so ensure the rest of the sentence aligns with this tense.
- Correct: The coupon expires tomorrow, so I will use it today.
- Incorrect: The coupon expires tomorrow, so I used it yesterday.
Prepositions Used with “Expires”
The most common prepositions used with “expires” are “on” and “in.”
- On: Used with specific dates (e.g., The visa expires on July 1st).
- In: Used with time periods (e.g., The warranty expires in six months).
Common Mistakes
Even experienced English speakers sometimes make mistakes when using “expires.” Here are some common errors and how to avoid them.
| Incorrect | Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| The license expire on Friday. | The license expires on Friday. | Subject-verb agreement: singular subject “license” requires the singular verb “expires.” |
| My passport is expire next month. | My passport expires next month. | Incorrect verb form. Use the correct present tense form “expires.” |
| The coupon expires at next week. | The coupon expires next week. | Unnecessary preposition. “Next week” is an adverbial phrase and doesn’t need “at.” |
| The offer will expire yesterday. | The offer expired yesterday. | Tense inconsistency. “Expired” (past tense) is needed since the event is in the past. Alternatively: The offer will expire tomorrow (future tense) |
| The warranty expire in six month. | The warranty expires in six months. | Subject-verb agreement and pluralization. Singular subject “warranty” requires “expires,” and “months” should be plural. |
| The subscription expires tommorow. | The subscription expires tomorrow. | Misspelling. The correct spelling is “tomorrow.” |
| The license expire on next friday. | The license expires next Friday. | Missing ‘s’ on expires and unnecessary ‘on’. |
| My drivers license expires at the end of this month. | My driver’s license expires at the end of this month. | Missing apostrophe on ‘driver’s’. |
Practice Exercises
Test your understanding of “expires” with these practice exercises. Each exercise focuses on different aspects of usage.
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of “expire” (expires or expire).
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| My driver’s license __________ next year. | expires |
| All coupons __________ on Sunday. | expire |
| The warranty __________ in three months. | expires |
| Our memberships __________ at the end of the year. | expire |
| This promotional offer __________ soon. | expires |
| The domain names __________ next month. | expire |
| His visa __________ on June 1st. | expires |
| The food products __________ quickly in the heat. | expire |
| Her teaching certificate __________ in 2026. | expires |
| The free trials __________ after seven days. | expire |
Exercise 2: Correct the Errors
Identify and correct the errors in the following sentences.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| The permit expire on Monday. | The permit expires on Monday. |
| My subscription is expire soon. | My subscription expires soon. |
| The offer expire in next week. | The offer expires next week. |
| Our licenses expires next year. | Our licenses expire next year. |
| This coupon expire tomorrow. | This coupon expires tomorrow. |
| The visa is expire at July 1st. | The visa expires on July 1st. |
| The discounts expire on each Friday. | The discounts expire every Friday. |
| This deal expire on next Sunday. | This deal expires next Sunday. |
| Her passport expire soonly. | Her passport expires soon. |
| The promotional code expire in tomorrow. | The promotional code expires tomorrow. |
Exercise 3: Sentence Construction
Create sentences using “expires” based on the given prompts.
| Prompt | Example Answer |
|---|---|
| Your gym membership… | Your gym membership expires at the end of the month. |
| The online course… | The online course access expires in three months. |
| This special promotion… | This special promotion expires on December 25th. |
| My software license… | My software license expires next week. |
| The free trial version… | The free trial version expires in 14 days. |
| The voting registration… | The voting registration expires 30 days before the election. |
| The temporary pass… | The temporary pass expires at midnight. |
| Our website certificate… | Our website certificate expires next year. |
| The student discount… | The student discount expires when you graduate. |
| This limited time offer… | This limited time offer expires soon. |
Advanced Topics
For advanced learners, understanding the nuances of “expires” in formal and legal contexts is essential. This section delves into these more complex aspects.
“Expires” in Formal Writing
In formal writing, clarity and precision are paramount. When using “expires,” be specific about the date and time.
Avoid vague terms like “soon” or “next week.” Instead, use concrete dates or timeframes.
Example:
- Informal: The contract expires soon.
- Formal: The contract expires on December 31, 2024.
“Expires” in Legal Contexts
In legal documents, the term “expires” carries significant weight. It defines the exact moment when an agreement, license, or right ceases to be valid.
The language must be unambiguous to prevent disputes.
Example:
“This agreement shall commence on January 1, 2024, and shall continue in full force and effect until it expires on December 31, 2026, unless terminated earlier in accordance with the terms herein.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Here are some frequently asked questions about using “expires,” along with detailed answers to help clarify any remaining confusion.
- What is the difference between “expires” and “is valid until”?
Both phrases indicate the end of a period of validity, but “expires” is more direct. “Is valid until” can sometimes imply a grace period, while “expires” typically means the item is no longer valid after the specified date. For example, “This ticket is valid until June 15th” means you can use it *on* June 15th, but “This ticket expires on June 15th” means June 15th is the *last* day you can use it.
- Can I use “expires” for people?
No, “expires” is generally not used to describe the death of a person. It is used for inanimate objects or abstract concepts like licenses and subscriptions. To describe a person’s death, use words like “died” or “passed away.”
- Is it correct to say “expires at” followed by a date?
No, it is more common and grammatically sound to say “expires on” followed by a specific date. “Expires at” is generally used with a specific time. For example, “expires at midnight.”
- What are some synonyms for “expires”?
Synonyms for “expires” include “lapses,” “terminates,” “ends,” “runs out,” and “becomes invalid.” The best synonym depends on the context. For instance, “lapses” might be used for insurance policies, while “terminates” is common in legal agreements.
- How do I ask someone when something expires?
You can ask, “When does this expire?” “When is the expiration date?” or “When will this become invalid?” The specific question depends on what you’re asking about (e.g., a coupon, a license).
- Can “expires” be used in the past tense?
Yes, the past tense of “expire” is “expired.” For example, “My passport expired last month.”
- What is the difference between “expire” and “expiration”?
“Expire” is a verb, indicating the action of something ceasing to be valid. “Expiration” is a noun, referring to the state or event of expiring. For example, “The license will expire soon” (verb), and “The expiration date is printed on the card” (noun).
- Is it okay to use “expires” for food, or should I use a different term?
While technically correct, “expires” is not the most common term for food. Terms like “best by,” “use by,” or “sell by” are more frequently used to indicate the date after which the quality of the food may decline. “Expires” is more commonly used for medicines.
Conclusion
Mastering the use of “expires” is crucial for clear and effective communication in various contexts, from everyday conversations to formal documents. This comprehensive guide has covered the definition, structural breakdown, usage rules, common mistakes, and advanced topics related to “expires.” By understanding these concepts and practicing the exercises, you can confidently use “expires” in your writing and speaking.
Remember to pay attention to subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, and the correct prepositions. Regular practice and attention to detail will help you avoid common mistakes and enhance your overall English proficiency.
Keep practicing, and you’ll become more comfortable and accurate in using “expires” in any situation.