Would
you please help me to identity which time expressions go with which
tenses, e.g. not long ago, a little while earlier, till midnight,
and so on?
Betty
Chan from Hong Kong writes:
Could
you please tell me whether in an hour means within an
hour or after an hour in the sentence: I'll be back
in an hour? Is after an hour the same as in an hour's
time? When I looked up in an hour in dictionaries, most
of them said within an hour. I am puzzled so would be grateful
if you could answer my question.
Roger
Woodham replies:
long
ago / not long ago - earlier / a little while earlier
With these time expressions we are thinking about a definite or
finished time in the past, so we wound normally use a past tense.
Compare the following:
When did Brenda phone? ~ Not long ago. About ten minutes
ago, I think.
Merlin was a wizard who lived long ago in the reign of King
Arthur.
Where's mum? ~ I don't know. She was on the computer writing
an email a minute or two ago, but I don't know where she is now.
They'll be here soon. Isn't it time you made the pudding?
~ I made it a little while earlier, before you came home.
I had to go to Manchester earlier last week, so couldn't
come to your lecture.
until / till midnight
We use both till and until as a preposition
or conjunction to refer to something that happened up to
a particular point in time. The particular point in time can be
in the past or the future, so past tenses and a variety of future
forms are both possible. Compare the following:
I didn't get home until midnight last night. I'm leaving
again now and I shan't be back until ten o' clock this evening.
I was working for a building company until the end of 1999,
then I went freelance.
You must wait here in the waiting room until they call your
name.
I can't really diagnose your condition until I receive the
results of the blood tests.
I can't really tell you what's wrong until I have received
the results of the blood tests.
expressions of finished time: past tenses
Note that with all expressions of finished time, like yesterday,
the week before last, last month, ten years ago, in the Eighties,
then, when, etc, past tenses are required:
I was doing my shopping in in the supermarket yesterday when
I bumped into my ex-wife whom I hadn't seen for five years.
We got married in the Eighties - house prices were much lower
then. Our son was born in 1988.
time-up-till-now expressions: perfect tenses
Note also that with time-up-till-now expressions like recently,
lately, often, all day, this week, etc, and with for
and since expressions, perfect tenses are normally required:
I've been playing the piano for twelve years now - since
I was six.
I haven't seen much of Tom recently / lately. ~ No, I haven't
either. I haven't seen him since that trip up the Thames last
summer. I've often wondered how he's getting on now.
I've been working all day today but I haven't done very
much work this week.
in
an hour
If we are referring to a past time situation, in an hour
means within the hour in question:
My boss thought it would take longer, but I completed the
report in half an hour yesterday afternoon.
He wrote the novel in six weeks last summer when he was
on holiday in Florida.
If we are referring to a future situation, in an hour
normally means after an hour has passed and can be used
as the simpler alternative to in an hour's time. Compare
the following and note how the preposition changes when we use a
negative construction:
It'll be ready in about half an hour.
It'll be ready in half an hour's time.
It won't be ready for half an hour.
I'll see you again in six months.
I'll see you again in six months' time.
I shan't see you again for six months.
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