Page 164 - Basic English Usage

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219 nextand nearest

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1. Nearestis used for place it means ‘most near in space’.
Excuse me. Where's the nearest tube station?
(NOT ... the nexttube-statien?)
If you want to find Alan, just look in the nearest pub.
Next is usually used for time — it means ‘nearest in the future’.
We get off at the next station ( = the station that we will reach first)
I'm looking forward to her next visit.

WE GET OFF AT \
NEAREST TUBE | PCHENEXT STATION.
STATION? |

2 Weuse nextin a few expressions to mean ‘nearest in space’.
The most common are next door and next to.
My girl-friend lives next door.
Come and sit next to me.

220 ~=next and the next

Next week, next month etc is the week or month just after this one. If |am
speaking in July, next month is August; if | am speaking in 1985, next
year is 1986. (Note that prepositions are not used before these time-
expressions.)
Goodbye! See you next week!
I'm spending next Christmas with my family.
Next year will be aifficult. ( = the year starting next January)
The next week, the next month etc can mean the period of seven days,
thirty days etc starting at ihe moment of speaking. On July 15th, 1985,