1．表示“在……之前”.說明兩個(gè)時(shí)間或兩個(gè)事件之間的先后關(guān)系.
1)They had got everything ready before I arrived．在我到達(dá)之前他們已經(jīng)把一切都準(zhǔn)備好了.
2)She didn’t understand me before I explained it to’her．在我向她解釋之前,她不理解我的意思.
3)The train had left before I arrived at the station．在我到達(dá)車站之前火車已開走了.
2．表示“……才…… ”,強(qiáng)調(diào)從句的謂語動(dòng)詞所表達(dá)的時(shí)間、距離很長或花費(fèi)的力量比較大.
1)The workers worked long hours for two weeks before everything returned to normal．工人們長時(shí)間地工作了兩周,一切才恢復(fù)
正常.
2)Thebig fire lasted four hours before the firemen brought it under contro1．大火持續(xù)了四個(gè)小時(shí),消防隊(duì)員才把它控制住.
3) We waited a long time before the train arrived．我們等了很長時(shí)間火車才到.
3．表示“還未來得及……就……”,強(qiáng)調(diào)主句謂語動(dòng)詞所表達(dá)的時(shí)間、距離很短或花費(fèi)的精力比較小.
1)Before I could figure out what had happened,he forced me into the car．我還不知道發(fā)生了什么,他就強(qiáng)行把我推進(jìn)了汽車.
2)He jumped into the water before I could stop him．我還沒有來得及阻止他,他就跳進(jìn)了水里.
3)Her father died before she was born．她尚未出世父親就去世了.
4．表示“趁著……”.
1)We can set off early before it gets hot．我們可以趁著天不熱早點(diǎn)出發(fā).
2)You’d better write the phrases down before you forget them．趁著你還沒有忘記,趕緊把這些詞組寫下來.
3)Please put them away before they are missing．趁著他們還沒有丟,把它們收好吧.
5．表示“一……就”、“剛剛……就”.與hardly．scarcely連用o
1)He hadhardly gone to bed before(=when)the door bell rang．他剛剛睡下,門鈴就響了.
2．She had scarcely got off the train before(=when)her daughter ran towards her．她剛一下車,女兒就跑了過來.
6．表示“不知不覺多少時(shí)間已經(jīng)過去了”.
1)He was so absorbed in his work that four hours had passed before he knew it．他如此專注于工作,不知不覺四個(gè)小時(shí)就過去了.
2)Time passed quickly and three months went by before he knew it．時(shí)間飛快地流逝,他沒感覺到三個(gè)月已過去了.
7．表示“寧可.寧愿”,相當(dāng)于rather than.
1)I’d die before I apologized to"them．我寧死也不向他們道歉.
2)1 would be poor before I got money in this way．我寧愿窮也不愿用這種方式掙錢.
8．before常用于句型“it was……before……”“
過了(多長時(shí)間)才…… ”,“it will be……before…… ”
“要用(多長時(shí)間)才……”.“it wasn’t……before……”
“沒過(多長時(shí)間)就……”.“it won’t be……before……”“用不了(多長時(shí)間)就會(huì)……”.
1)It was long before he came to help me．過了很久他才來幫我.
2)It wash’t long before the fire was put out．不久火就給撲滅了.
3)It will be another five days before we finish this task．還要再過五天我們才能完成任務(wù).
4)It won’t be a long time before someone comes to see you．不久就會(huì)有人來看你.