ago

/ə'gou/

Thân thiện

My grandfather came to the U.S. sixty years ago.

Definition

1. Adverb:

   • In the past; before the present time: Used to indicate a specific amount of time that has passed before now.
   • Gone by; elapsed: Referring to a period of time that is completed.

2. Adjective (Postpositive):

   • Gone by; past: Used after a noun phrase to describe a time that is in the past. (Note: This adjectival use is less common and often appears in a fixed structure like "long ago.")

Examples of Usage

• Adverb:

  • I saw her a few minutes ago.
  • The company was founded over a century ago.
  • How long ago did you arrive?

• Adjective (Postpositive):

  • That was a dream of long ago. (This means "a dream from the distant past.")
  • In times long ago, people believed differently.

Advanced Usage

• "long ago": A common phrase meaning a very distant time in the past.
  • Dinosaurs lived long ago.
• "not long ago": Refers to a recent past time.
  • I visited Paris not long ago.
• "a while ago": Indicates an unspecified but relatively short time in the past.
  • She called a while ago.

Variants and Related Words

• Agone (adj/adv, archaic): An old-fashioned word meaning 'ago'.
  • It happened many years agone.
• Since (prep/conj): Used to mark the beginning of a period that continues until now. Often used with "ago" to form a time reference point.
  • I have lived here ever since I moved here three years ago.

Synonyms

• Previously: At a time before the present.
• Before: Earlier in time.
• Back: In the past (e.g., ).

Important Notes on Usage

• Word Order: "Ago" always follows the time expression it modifies.
  • Correct: ten days ago
  • Incorrect: ago ten days
• Tense: "Ago" is typically used with the past simple tense to talk about finished actions at a specific past time.
  • He left an hour ago. (Past Simple)
• Not used with present perfect: "Ago" refers to a finished time in the past, so it is not used with the present perfect tense, which connects the past to the present.
  • Incorrect: I have seen him a week ago.
  • Correct: I saw him a week ago.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. gone by; or in the past
   • two years ago
   • `agone' is an archaic word for `ago'

Adverb

1. in the past
   • long ago
   • sixty years ago my grandfather came to the U.S.

Từ đồng nghĩa

• agone