Word of the Day: Ago
The word “ago” is an adverb that is used with the past tense. When we say something happened a time ago, the comparison is between now and that past time. The word “ago” often appears at the end of a sentence or a clause but not always.
- She was born 42 years ago in Egypt.
- He moved to New York ten years ago.
- The accident happened a few weeks ago.
- Five years ago, Marta and Jose moved to Chicago.
- Over 30 years ago I began my career as a teacher.
- Rome was a powerful city state two thousand years ago.
- Planet Earth formed 4.5 billion years ago.
- That was a long time ago.
To indicate a relatively long passage of time, make a plural of a unit of time, such as days, weeks, years, and then use the word “ago.”
- The plane left hours ago.
- He turned in his assignment days ago.
- They moved away months ago.
- The last time I saw her was years ago.
- That was weeks ago.
- That was ages ago. (ages = a long time)
- That happened some years ago. (some years = three to ten years–very indefinite)
When forming questions, the word “ago” can go at the end of the question or after the words “how long.”
- Where did you live five years ago?
- How long ago did you live in China?
- What were you doing twenty years ago?
- How long ago were you a student?
- How long ago did you attend school?
- How many years ago did they get married?
- How many years ago did you start learning English?
Essential English Dictionary
Visit the Popular English Words Beginning with A page to see the list of all words starting with letter A. For seeing the HiCafe dictionary, visit the Popular English Words with Meaning page.
