next winter etc at some time before 6 o'clock, Friday etc, and certainly not later than this: III be home by 6, I promise. I Make sure you get the work done by Friday. I By 9 o'clock, all the guests had arrioed.
before now
Ьв/огв /Ь)Тз:г/ [adv] before now: I've never seen such a big dog before. I Stan's never been up in a plane before and he's feeling very nervous.
ago grx; [adi] five minutes/two weeks/ 20 years etc ago five minutes, two weeks etc before now: He went out half an hour ago, but he'll be back soon. I She died
two months ago.
a long time ago "When did you live in Germany?" "Oh. it was a long time ago
- in 1967."
Use ago, not before, when you are saying how much time has passed since something happened. For example, don't say 'he died 10 years before'. Say he died
10 years ago.
A
Qages ago spoken (=a very long time ago) He wrote to me once, but that was ages ago.
A
Don't use ago with verbs in the present perfect. Don't say 'she has left 10 minutes ago'. Say she left 10 minutes
ago
earlier /Vliar/ [adu] at some time, date, year etc before now or before the time you are talking about: Didn't ! give you the key earlier?
earlier in the day/year etc I saw Barbara earlier in the day - she looked very upset.
20 years earlier/10 minutes earlier/
BEFORE
moments earlier etc Three years earlier, he had been happily married with a good job. Things were different now.
previously /'prirvissli/ [adv] before a time
or event in the past: She got the job two years ago, after previously working in another computer company. I The attack was carried out by a previously unknown group of terrorists.
two days/three weeks/six months etc
previously A few weeks previously I had met Herr Mueller at a conference. previous [adj] Jane had spent the previous summer working in Greece.
/ormerly Тэ:гтэгП/ [adu] formal, during а period in the past but not now-. Wat к ins was formerly editor of a national newspaper. I Zimbabwe was formerly known as Rhodesia.
someone or something that existed before, or that you had before
previous pri:vbs/ [adj only before noun] the previous person, thing, or time is the one that existed just before now or before the time you are talking about: Please ignore my previous instructions. I In her previous job she'd been an accountant. I The car's previous owner was a doctor.
previous day/week/year etc (=the day, week etc before the time in the past that you are talking about) The p re и io us day my father had looked perfectly healthy. I The weather that summer o»as much better than in previous years.
last /lu:st|laest/; 1adj only before noun] the last person or thing is the one that you had just before now, or the one that existed just before now: The last apartment we lived in was much smaller than this one. I Clare broke up with her last boyfriend because he drank too much. last night/week/year etc (=the one Defore this one) f couldn't sleep last night because of the heat.
Don't say 'the last week/night/
Tuesday'. Say |ast week/night/Tuesday:
What did you do last Saturday?
ex- eks [prefix] ex-wife/ex-boyfriend/ex-
64
policeman/ex-soldier etc someone who used to be someone s wife, used to be a policeman etc, but is not any more: Joe's father's an ex-policeman. 1 I wish you
wouldn't keep talking about your ex- boyfriends.
old aold [adj only before noun] sb's old job/car/girlfriend/boss etc the job, car etc that someone nad before the one they have now: Нош much did you sell your
old car for? I / tried to contact Jim, but I only have his old phone number 1 We had a big family room in our old house.
Old is less format than previous, and you usually use it in conversation. You use it about things that you used to have, or people that you used to work with or have a relationship with.
the one be/ore лэ w \n ьi fa:[ the person or thing that existed before the one that you have just mentioned: I didn't enjoy Spielberg's latest movie but I thought the one before was great. the day be/ore/the week before/the year be/ore etc (-the day, week etc before the time in the past that you are talking about)
We got married in 1992, but I met her
the year before, while I was at uniuersity.
former Ь:гтэг (adj only before noun] formal existing at some time in the past, but not now - use this especially to talk about someone who used to have a particular job or position: former US President Jimmy Carter I Robert's former wife now lives in Switzerland, i the former Soviet Republic of Georgia
predecessor pn:d^sesor|| pre [n C]
formal, someone's predecessor is the person who had the same job before
them: Sally's predecessor had warned
her that the class could be very difficult. I Kennedy's predecessor. President Eisenhower
В when you do something before anyone else does it
Jirst /tVst/ [acM if you do something first, go somewhere first etc, you do it, go there etc before anyone else: We got here first - these seats are ours. I Let Michael read the magazine. He saw it first- be the Jirst to do sth My sister a/ways sa/с/ I would be the first to get married, but she was wrong.
кэ before something else in a list or series
before bi fo:r [preposition] before something or someone else in a list, series, or set: / think you were before me in line, weren't you? I The chapter before this one was about Jenny's family. I Harajuku station is one stop before Shibuya station on the Yamanote Line.
in front o//ahead of in Тглт nv. ohed
nv/ [preposition] before another person in a group of people who are waiting to do something: The man in front of me let me go first. I There were about fifty people ahead of us waiting for tickets.