表示時間的介詞

孔慧敏

at

at用于表示接近某一時刻或年齡。由其構(gòu)成的常用短語有: at three oclock, at noon, at night, at midnight, at the end of, at that time, at the beginning of, at the age of, at once, at present, at the same time等。

例1At the end of day, they parted. 白天結(jié)束時,他們分手了。

in

in表示“在一段時間內(nèi)”,由其構(gòu)成的常用短語有:in the morning / afternoon / evening, in October, in 1998, in summer, in the past, in the future,in the end, in the age of Internet等。

in 和after都能表示“在某個時間之后”,區(qū)別在于in表示“在一段時間之后”,而after則通常用來表示“在某一具體時間點之后”。此時, in短語和將來時態(tài)連用, after短語和過去時態(tài)或?qū)頃r態(tài)連用。after有時也可表示在一段時間之后,常用過去時。

例2Well go to Japan in three days. 我們?nèi)旌笕ト毡尽?/p>

例3We went home after seven yesterday. 我們昨天七點后回家。

例4After two days he returned. 過了兩天他回來了。

on

on用于表示某一特定的時間,由其構(gòu)成的常用短語有: on July 3, on Monday, on Christmas morning, on May Day, on a warm morning等。

on還可以表示“當(dāng)……的時候”。

例5On hearing the news, he was very happy. 聽到這則新聞,他非常開心。

by

by表示“不遲于;在……以前”,如用在by the end of這樣的短語中。

例6He had finished the work by ten oclock this morning. 到今天上午十點鐘, 他已完成了這項工作。

since

since 表示“自從……以來”,即“從那時起到現(xiàn)在”,常與現(xiàn)在完成時連用。

例7They have been friends since childhood. 他們從幼時起就一直是好朋友。

from

from表示從時間的某一點開始,不涉及與現(xiàn)在的關(guān)系,一般多與現(xiàn)在時、過去時、將來時連用。

例8I hope to do morning exercises from now on. 我想從現(xiàn)在起開始做早操。

till和until

till與until同義,它們在肯定句中都表示“到……為止;在……以前”,搭配的動詞必須是延續(xù)性的;在否定句中都表示“直到……才”,延續(xù)性、非延續(xù)性動詞都可以搭配。但在主句前的從句或短語中,通常用until。

例9Until you told me, I had heard nothing about it. 在你告訴我以前,我一點也不知道。

例10He worked hard from morning till night. 他從早到晚努力工作。

until 用于not until句型位于句首時,主句應(yīng)倒裝。

例11Not until he told me did I know the result. 直到他告訴我,我才知道結(jié)果。

until 還用于not ... until ...的強(qiáng)調(diào)句型:It is / was not until +被強(qiáng)調(diào)部分+ that...

例12It was not until twelve oclock that he went to bed. 直到12點他才去睡覺。

【牛刀小試】

1. ___ hearing the news, Tom was wild__joy.

A. At; in B. On; with C. After; by D. In; with

2. The book was written in 1946,___the education system has witnessed great changes.

A. when B. during which C. since then D. since when

3. Some people say that we live ___ the age of computers.

A. in B. at C. with D. for

4. It happened___the Long March.

A. during B. in C. at D. for

5. —How long has the bookshop been in business?

—___1988.

A. After B. In C. From D. Since

6. The train leaves____7 : 00 p.m., so I have to be at the station___ 6 : 40 p.m. at the latest.

A. at; until B. for; after C. at; by D. before; around

7. We left Beijing ___a very hot summer afternoon.

A. on B. in C. during D. by

8. I saw Jack yesterday. He told me that he would stay here ___ the end of this year.

A. at B. by C. for D. till

9. Mr Wang went to Nanjing___October, 2007 and came back home ____the morning of Nov.10.

A.at; in B. on; at C. in; on D. by; from

10. The old man died___cold__ a cold night.

A. from; at B. of; in C. of; on D. for; during

11. Not until you really grow up___why we need to work hard.

A. you can understand B. can you understand

C. understand can you D. understand you can

12. It was not until I saw Mary in New York__ I felt happy.

A. when B. that C. before D. after

【參考答案】

1~5. BDAAD6~10. CADCC11~12. BB