Page 41 - English Vocabulary in Use : Elementary

1 7 Time words 2)

Time in relation to NOw
Now means at this moment. Then means at another moment (usually in the past).
Itis 10 o'clock now.
I got up 2 hours ago, at 8 o'clock.
An hour ago it was 9 o’clock.

two years for two years
1994 1996 from 1994 to 1996 1994 —» 1996
from 2010 to 2012
last year / last week / last Saturday
next year / next week / next summer

It is July now.
Last month it was June.
Next month it will be August.

When we talk about time in general, we talk about the past, the present and the future. We
talk about the past, the present and the future forms of the verb, for example

In the past people didn’t have television.
People may travel to Mars in the future.
PI! be with you in a moment. (= a very short time)
Jane’s in Paris at the moment. (= now)
See you soon! (= in a short time)
We met recently. (= not long ago)

Frequency adverbs
always often now and then not often rarely

f LX — | |) | | { >
usually sometimes occasionally hardly ever never
It always snows in Russia in winter.
It often rains in Britain.
The temperature in London hardly ever gets to 35°. (= almost never)
The Ancient Romans never went to America or Australia.

Notice the use of a in these expressions of frequency.
once (= one time) a week: I go swimming once a week, every Saturday.
twice (= two times) a day: I clean my teeth twice a day.
three times a year: I see my uncle three times a year.
four times a month: I play football four or five times a month.

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English Vocabulary in Use (elementary)