英语中如何表达时间

英语中如何表达时间

作者：唐晓晖

来源：《中学教学参考·语英版》2010年第04期

1.段时间用in如在白天/季节/月份/早上/上午/晚上用in: in the day/morning;in spring。 2.点时间用atat 10 o’clock/dawn/noon,但at night除外。

3.具体到哪一天及某天的情况用onon a rainy morning; on Monday nights...

4.日期表达在英式英语中用“日-月-年”,但在美式英语中用“月-日-年”表达法,如:on 6th Jan, 2010;on Jan 6th, 2010;on Jan 6,2010。

5.年代表示方法用in/during如在二十世纪八十年代,in/during the nineteen eighties,指的是1980-1989,可写为during/ in the 1980’s 或 in the 1980s , 另外1980-1985可写为in /during the early nineteen eighties,1985-1989可写为in / during the late nineteen eighties。

6.在某人多大年龄时如“在他13岁时”这样表达:at the age of 13; at 13; when he was 13;when he was 13/thirteen years old。 在某人某个年龄段用in:in one’s twenties;in his early twenties(20-25岁); in his late twenties(26-29岁)。 “从小”用at/from an early age。“在某人余生”用for the rest of one’s life或者 in/during the last years of one’s life。在童年用in the childhood;in the childhood days。在青少年时期:as a teenager。在学生时代:in the student days。

一般时态的现在、过去和将来表达法比较简单,在此不加以列举了。在此主要解释一些在运用中常出错的从句表达法。引导时间状语从句常用的词和词组有:当……时候 when, while;一边as;直到till, until;自……以来since;一旦,曾经 once;在……之前before;在……之后after;截至,到……时候by the time;一……就as soon as, immediately, directly,instantly, the moment, the minute, the second,the instant;一(还没来得及)……就hardly/scarcely...when, no sooner ...than;无论何时whenever。此外,every time, each time, next time, the last time, the first time也可以引导时间状语从句。下面作一一介绍。

1.when,while,as when引导的从句的谓语动词既可是延续性动词,也可是非延续性动词。while引导的从句的谓语动词是延续性动词。as引导的从句的谓语动词既可是延续性动词,也可是非延续性动词,但强调动作的同时进行。此外,when可表示“这时突然”, as表示“随着”, while表示对比“然而”或让步“虽然”,这时它们不能互换。

when的三个句式是: was/were doing...when;was/were about to do...when; had( just )done...when...

如:He came just as/when I reached the door.

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As/When/While we were laughing, the teacher came in. 2.till,until

till,until在肯定句中,主句的谓语动词可是延续性或非延续性动词,在否定句中,主句的谓语动词只能是非延续性动词。

如:I didn’t go to bed until my father came back.

I waited for him at the school gate until he finished his composition。

3.after, beforeafter 表示主句的动作发生在从句动作之后;before表示主句的动作发生在从句动作之前。It was/will be +一段时间+ before... It was/will not be +一段时间+ before...

如:It will be two years before he graduates from university. It will not be long before you regret for what you have done. 4.since

若主句的谓语动词是延续性动词,且时态为现在完成时,则从句为过去时或者since加一个过去时间点。如果从句是非延续性动词,意思是“自……以来”,如果是延续性动词,意思是“不……多久了”。

常用句式:It is/has been+一段时间+ since... 如:

I have worked here since I graduated from the university. —What was the party like?

—Wonderful! It’s years since I enjoyed myself so much.

5.一……就……as soon as, immediately, directly,instantly, the moment, the minute, the second,the instant, hardly/scarcely...when, no sooner ...than... 如:I’ll tell him the news the moment he comes. He had hardly got home when it began to rain.

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No sooner had it stopped raining than they went to work in the fields. 6.whenever, every time, each time, next time, the last time, the first time 如:Whenever we met with difficulties, they came to help us. Every time I went to his house, he was out.

时间表达法尽管多样,但只要扎实学习,善于积累,还是很容易掌握的。 (责任编辑 周侯辰)