Language/English/Vocabulary/Ago

Ago

Word order: six weeks ago

Ago follows an expression of time. 

Example:

• I met her six weeks ago. 

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.’

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.)

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)
• I remembered going to Spain three years ago.(Ago is used to express something that has already taken place further in the past. Before can also be used as word linkers. It tells what could/would happen if something is done or something isn't done).

• When we got talking I found out that I had been at school with her husband ten years before, (not ten years ago.)
• Examples of sentences with the phrase 'Before' (1) Mary left the playground 'Before' her friends arrived. (2) Let me leave this scenario 'Before' I get involved or 'Before' I'm called upon as an eye-witness.
• Before means Something happened not long a time.