Language/English/Vocabulary/Ago

Ago:

 

1. Word order: six weeks ago

Ago follows an expression of time. 

Example:

I met her six weeks ago. 

2. Tenses

An expression with ago refers to a finished time, and is normally used with a past tense, not a present perfect. 

Examples:

She phoned a few minutes ago. (not She has phoned)

‘Where’s Mike? '‘He was working outside ten minutes ago.’

 

 

3. The difference between ago and for

Ago says how long before the present something happened; for (with a past tense) says how long it lasted. 

Compare:

He died three years ago. (= three years before now) (not He died for three years, or for three years ago.)

He was ill for three years before he died. (= His illness lasted three years.)

4. Ago and before with time expressions: counting back

We use "ago" with a past tense and a time expression to ‘count back' from the present; to say how long before now something happened.

We can use "before" in the same way (with a past perfect tense) to count back from a past moment. 

Compare:

I met that woman in Scotland three years ago.(not three years before/ before three years)

When we got talking I found out that I had been at school with her husband ten years before, (not ten years ago.)