表示时间的介词，在英语介词中占着相当重要的位置。在初中阶段英语教学过程中，已出现了许多用来表示时间的介词。其中有：at， on ，in ，during， for， to， till， until， after，by， before等。本文着重谈一谈这些介词在表示时间的用法及它们之间的同异之处。 1.at ，on， in a）at用来表示时间时，通常指时间的某一点。例如：at five o’clock， at noon ，at midnight. b）on用来表示某一段时间，特指某天或某天的上午、下午或晚上。例如：on Sunday,on Saturday morning. c）in也可用来表示一段时间，但多指长于一天或不到一天的时间段。例如：in January, in summer, in1988, in the morning , in the evening. 2.in与during a）during用来表示一段时间，其意义大致相当于in的用法。一般来说，凡是能用in的地方，也可以用during.例如：He came to see me during my absence. Don’t go to see his wife in his absence. b）during与in的区别在于during强调时间的延续性，而in则只是一般指某一时间。试比较：They visited many cities during their stay in China.Her grandpa was killed in the war. 3.in, for ,during a）“in＋时间”与“for＋时间”都可表示一段时间，但“for＋时间”表示“有多久”，而“in＋时间”则表示“在何时”。例如：We worked there for the winter.They worked there in winter. 以上两例中，in winter强调“在冬季”，不一定包括整个冬季时间，而for the winter则强调“整个冬天”。 b）for用来表示一般时间，常跟具体的时间段。例如 for a few days ,for 3 weeks ,for five months等 4.since与after since与after 都可以用来引导表示从过去某一点开始的时间段词组。它们的不同之处在于： a）since引导的词组所表示的时间一直延续到说话时为止，因而要与现在完成时连用。例如：He has been there twice since 1982.I have done nothing since six o’clock. b）after引导的词组所表示的时间是纯系过去，并不延续到说话时，因此要和一般过去时连用。例如：He went home after school. 5.till, until与to a）介词till／until常用于“from.……till／until”结构中，表示“一个动作的终结”。介词to常用在“from.……to”的结构中，用来表示“一个阶段的终结”。两者在这种结构中意义十分接近。例如：The Americans stayed here from June to September.He studies from morning till／until night everyday. b）to可用在表示钟点的词前。我们说It’s six to five. 但不能说It’s six till／until five.反之在某些能用till／until的场合，却不能用to.例如：在“not.……until”结构中，我们说I didn’t go to bed till／until ten o’clock.却不能说I didn’t go to bed to ten o’clock.
c）till与until也有细微区别。till常用在非正式文体或口语中，而until则常用于正式文体及比较正式的场合。另外，在句首多用until. 6.by 与before a）by表示时间时，意思是“到……以前”、“不迟于”、“到……时（为止）”。例如：by supper time， by the end of last term b）before表示时间，意为“在……以前”。例如：before liberation， the day before yesterday c）by与before的区别在于，by短语表示时间，强调“终止点”，而before短语表示时间，强调“起始点”。例如：Your son will be all right by supper time. 句中的by supper time表示从说话时到晚饭前这段时间。而before构成短语则表示从某一时间或事件之前，例如：The poor children couldn’t go to school before liberation. 强化练习： ( ) 1. Children get gifts ____ Christmas and ____ their birthdays. A. on; on B. at; on C. in; in D. in; on ( ) 2.----There is nothing ____tomorrow afternoon, is there? -----No. We can have a game of table tennis. A. on B. in C. out D. up ( ) 3. A lot of students in our school were born____March, 1981. A. in B. at C. on D. since ( ) 4. He suddenly returned____ a rainy night. A. on B. at C. in D. during ( ) 5. My grandfather was born____Oct. 10, 1935. A. on B. in C. at D. of ( ) 6. The train is starting___five minutes. A. in B. at C. for D.still ( ) 7. Mike does his exercises ____ seven _____ the evening. A. on; to B. at; in C. by; of D. at; on ( ) 8. Children wake up very early____the morning of Christmas Day. A. in B. on C. for D. at ( ) 9 ____ a cold winter morning, I met her in the stfeet. A. In B. On C. At D. For ( ) 10 It happened to be very cold____ the morning of our sports meeting. A. at B. on C. with D. of ( ) 11. Why did you get up so early ___ this morning. A. on B. / C. at D. in ( ) 12. He went to Shanghai___ September 3, 1991 and came back___ a cold morning last year. A. in; on B. on; in C. on; on D. in; ia ( ) 13. Lucy was born____ the night of May 12, 1984. . ... A. on B. in C. at D. to ( ) 14. Mrs Brown came to China ____ 1996. A.on B. of C. to, D. in ( ) 15 ___ the morning of November 20, 1915, the workers came to Chicago to show their mourning of Joe Hill. A. On B. In C. On D. At ( ) 16. Ann moved___Hangzhou___September, 1992. A. /; in B. to; in C. to; on D, in; in ( ) 17. They started off___an autumn afternoon. A. during B. at C. in D. on ( ) 18. He often goes ____ school ____ six thirty ____ the morning. A. for; to; in B. to; at; in C. to; for; at D, for; at; to ( ) 19. He arrived ___ Shanghai ___ 9: 30 ___ March 5. A. at; in; at B. to; on; at C. in; on; at D. in; at; on ( ) 20.The English teacher told me to get there____ half past ten. A: in B. at C. on D. of 答案：B A A A A A B B B B B C A D B A D B D B
