Ⅱ.重點句型詳解

They lived on the earth tens of millions of years ago, long before humans came into being...

千百萬年前它們(恐龍)就在地球上生活,比人類的出現(xiàn)要早得多……

long before 早在……之前很久

before可做連詞,連接時間狀語從句,做介詞,連接時間點或做副詞。long before 連接的時間狀語從句用一般現(xiàn)在時呼應主句的一般將來時;一般過去時呼應主句的一般過去時或過去將來時。

拓展:(1)before long “不久以后”,相當于 soon after/shortly after, 既可以指將來,也可以指過去,所以與過去時或?qū)頃r連用,在句中做狀語,不可以引導從句。

(2)long ago (現(xiàn)在的)很久以前。

(3)“It will be long before+從句(一般現(xiàn)在時)”與 “It was long before+從句(一般過去時)”的意思是“過很久才……”,強調(diào)經(jīng)過的時間長。

(4)“It will not be long before+從句(一般現(xiàn)在時)”與“It was not long before+從句(一般過去時)”,意思是“沒過很久就……”,強調(diào)經(jīng)過的時間短。

注意:以上短語、句型中的 long均可以改用普通的時間名詞或短語,表達不同的時間長度。

①Long before, there was a big museum here.

很久以前,這里有一座大博物館。

②I had heard of him long before I came here.

早在我來這兒很久以前我就聽說過他的情況。

③Before long he went to Canada to go on with his further education.不久以后他就去加拿大繼續(xù)深造了。

④It was not long before she came. 沒多久她就來了。

⑤It will be long before we see each other again.

我們很久以后才會再見面。

[即境活用]The book was published ______ it was written.

A.soon before   B.long before ? ? ? ?C.before long ? ? ? ?D.soon after

解析:句意為“書寫完后不久就出版了”,故選 soon after。

答案:D