Page 56 - Basic English Usage

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63 before (preposition) and in front of

before: time
in front of. place

Compare:
| must move my car before nine o’clock.
it’s parked in front of the post office.
(NOT ... beferethe-post office.)

We do not use in front of for things
which are on opposite sides of a
road, river, room etc. Use
opposite or facing.
There’s a pub opposite my house
(NOT... #
We stood facing each other
across the train.
(NOT ... tafrontefeaet-otfer-)
in front of opposite

64 begin and start

There is not usually any difference between begin and start.
| started/began teaching when | was twenty-four.
If John doesn't come soon, let's start/begin without him.
We prefer start when we talk about an activity that happens regularly,
with ‘stops and starts’.
It's starting to rain.
What time do you start teaching tomorrow morning?
We prefer begin when we talk about long, slow activities, and when we
are using a more formal style.
Very slowly, | began to realize that there was something wrong.
We will begin the meeting with a message from the President.
Stari (but not begin) is used to mean:

‘start a journey’
| think we ought to start at six, while the roads are empty.
‘start working’ (for machines)
The car wont start.
‘make (machines) start’
How do you start the washing machine?

For the use of the infinitive and the -ing form after begin and start, see 182.11.