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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

Using back instead of ago

is it correct to use back instead of ago in these sentences. I met few minutes back.Isaw her long back. it happened two days back.
  

Top answer

Dear friend, Back is sometimes synonymous with ago, as in these sentences you question: We met a few minutes back/ago. ( Please note that meet requires an object or a plural subject, so I met few minutes back is nonstandard); It happened two days back/ago. Back, however, is impossible in the second sentence since it contains a lexical collocation - long ago.

— Andriy Lapin

  • Dear friend, Back is sometimes synonymous with ago, as in these sentences you question: We met a few minutes back/ago.
  • ( Please note that meet requires an object or a plural subject, so I met few minutes back is nonstandard); It happened two days back/ago.
  • Back, however, is impossible in the second sentence since it contains a lexical collocation - long ago.
  • Using *long back is an obvious error.
  • Respectfully, Gleb Chebrikoff.
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2 Answers
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Dear friend,

Back is sometimes synonymous with ago, as in these sentences you question:

We met a few minutes back/ago. (Please note that meet requires an object or a plural subject, so I met few minutes back is nonstandard);

It happened two days back/ago.

Back, however, is impossible in the second sentence sin
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I met few minutes back.-- OK in informal English.

I saw her long back.-- No good.

It happened two days back.-- OK in informal English.
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