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Aleilei Posted 16 years ago
Vocabulary

Difference between AGO, BACK and BEFORE

Hi there,

I'd like to know the difference between AGO, BACK and BEFORE.

For example:

1 . I met John a month ago.

2 . I met John a month back.

3 . I met John a month before.

Which one is correct? Are there any rules in using these 3 words? Thanks!
  

Top answer

They are all correct and essentially mean the same thing, though 'before' is slightly different because it would normally refer to some date or occasion previously mentioned in the discourse. In contemporary grammar 'ago', 'back' and 'before', when used this way, are all prepositions. The striking feature in your examples is that they all follow their complement (a month).

— BillJ

  • They are all correct and essentially mean the same thing, though 'before' is slightly different because it would normally refer to some date or occasion previously mentioned in the discourse.
  • In contemporary grammar 'ago', 'back' and 'before', when used this way, are all prepositions.
  • The striking feature in your examples is that they all follow their complement (a month).
  • 'Ago' is exceptional because it invariably follows its complement.
  • 'Back' presents a problem here: one solution is to treat it like 'ago' which semantically means the same thing.
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4 Answers
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They are all correct and essentially mean the same thing, though 'before' is slightly different because it would normally refer to some date or occasion previously mentioned in the discourse. In contemporary grammar 'ago', 'back' and 'before', when used this way, are all prepositions. The striking feature in your examples is that they all follow their complement (a month). 'Ago' is exceptional be
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Hi,

I would just add that 'I met John a month back' sounds more casual than the 'ago' version.

Lincoln did not begin the Gettysburg address with Four score and seven years back.
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aleilei3 . I met John a month before.
Usually "before" expects another point in time.
"Ago" is always relative to the current point in time.

I met John a month before my 25th birthday.
I met John a month before I met Anne.

Regards,
A-
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1 I met John a month ago.
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