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Prajwalkr Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

In front of and before

Hi
I would like to know the differences between these:
He was standing in front of me.
He was standing before me.

Prajwal
  

Top answer

Hello Praj If there are any differences between the two, they are very slight. "He was standing before me" might be considered a bit more formal, and "He was standing in front of me" might be considered as indicating that the person was directly in front of you (you were looking at his back), but other than that I see very little difference. John

— JohnParis

  • Hello Praj If there are any differences between the two, they are very slight.
  • "He was standing before me" might be considered a bit more formal, and "He was standing in front of me" might be considered as indicating that the person was directly in front of you (you were looking at his back), but other than that I see very little difference.
  • John
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3 Answers
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Hello Praj
If there are any differences between the two, they are very slight.
"He was standing before me" might be considered a bit more formal, and "He was standing in front of me" might be considered as indicating that the person was directly in front of you (you were looking at his back), but other than that I see very little difference.
John
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Yes, it can be said even if you are behind him looking at his back.
"He was standing in line before me to buy tickets to the show."
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You're welcome - but just so we are clear, it's a terribly awkward sentence and poorly constructed. I would always prefer "before me" when speaking of someone who was facing me.
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