Before的用法

Before的用法:

一、before用作连词

1. before用作连词时,意思就是“在……之前;还没来得及……就”。例如:

Before she could move, she heard a great noise, which grew to a terrible roar、她还没来得及动弹,就听见有很响的声音,接着就成了可怕的隆隆轰鸣声。

Before I could say a word, she had stormed out of the room、不等我说一句话,她就冲出了房间。

Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched、不要高兴得过早。

2. 用于It + be + 时间段+ before、、、句型中,意思就是“在……之后才……”。例如:

It will be five years before I come back、

我五年后才能回来。

It was not long before the enemy was driven out of their country、不久之后,敌人就被赶走了。

如果主句中用否定式,则表示“不多久……就”。

It won’t be long before they understand each other、她们不久就会互相了解的。

3. 还有“趁……(还没有)”之意。例如:

They are thinking of buying the house before the prices go up、她们正在考虑趁房价未涨时把房子买下来。

Do it before you forget it、趁早动手,以免忘了。

二、before用作介词

before用作介词时, 可以指时间“earlier than在……之前”,也可以指位置“in front of在……之前”。例如:

There is nothing that has not been bitter before being ripe、凡事在成熟前,都就是有苦味的。

Don’t put the cart before the horse、不要本末倒置。

He was brought before the judge、她被带到法官面前。

三、before用作副词

before用作副词时,意思就是“at an earlier time / in the past以前”。例如:

I’ve seen the film Titanic before、我以前瞧过《泰坦尼克》这部电影。

I have never seen such beautiful flowers before、我以前从未见过如此美丽的鲜花。

四、短语before long与long before的区别

before long就是“很快,不久”的意思, 可以用于各种时态。例如:

Before long, he went to America、不久,她就去了美国。

I hope to see you before long、我希望不久后再见到您。

而long before就是“很久以前”的意思,一般用在过去时或过去完成时的句子里。例如: She said she had read the novel long before、她说她很久以前就读过这部小说。

That happened long before、那件事发生在很久以前