Page 28 - Basic English Usage

19 -—20 28

19 ages

We talk about people’s ages with
He is thirty-five.
She will be twenty-one next year.
or | be + number + years old |.
He is thirty-five years old.
To ask about someboay’s age, say How old are you? (What is your age ?
is correct but not usual.)

Note the structure | be + ... age | (without preposition).
When | was your age, | was already working.
The two boys are the same age.
She’s the same age as me.

20 ago

Position
of
expression
time
|
ago
+
| met her six weeks ago. (NOT ... age-spcweeks.)
It all happened a long time ago.
How long ago did you arrive?
Ago is used with a past tense, not the present perfect.
She phoned a few minutes ago. (NOT Ske-has-phened ...)
‘Where's Mike?’ ‘He was working outside ten minutes ago.

The difference between ago and for
Compare:
! went to Spain six weeks ago. ( = six weeks before now}
! went to Germany for six weeks this summer. ( = | spent six weeks
in Germany.)

NOW
| went
| went to Germany to Spain
H+
HH
HHH
+
PAST BH4+-+4+-4-4-4-4+4-+4+-4+-44-4+ :-~FUTURE
HH
}
t
for six weeks six weeks ago