before long的意思是“不久”,可指过去或将来,即可用于过去时态或将来时态。如:
1. 连用一般将来时
We’ll know before long (= soon).我们很快就会知道了。
I’m going to get very cross before long.我很快就会大发雷霆。
It’s likely that the law will be abolished before long.这项法律很有可能不久就要废除。
You need to be careful, or you’ll run yourself into the ground before long.你要小心点,不然过不了多久你就会累垮的。
2. 连用一般过去时
Before long the whole neighbourhood knew about it.不久,整个小区都知道了这事。
单词:before long的近义词、反义词、形近词辨析
before long/long before
Before long he had to move on again.不久他不得不再迁移。
She said that she had heard of it long before.她说,她老早就听说过这件事。
<辨析>before long 与 long before 是词义完全相同的两个词组。before long 意为“很快”,“不久”(soon,after a short period of time),其中 before 是介词,long 是名词。常在句中作状语,多与动词的过去时或将来时连用。如:I'll go to Shanghai before long.不久我要去上海。long before 意为“很久以前”,其中 long 是副词,long before 单独使用时,before 是副词。long before 后接名词、代词时,before 为介词。long before 后接从句时,before 为连词。这个词组常与过去时或过去完成时连用。跟从句时也可以用在现在时的句子中。例如:It will be long before he arrives.还要多久他才到达。