時間関係を示す前置詞 - Prepositions of Time
場所の関係を表す前置詞を時間に使うこともあります。前置詞の持つ感覚は同じです。
FOR, DURING and SINCE
"FOR, DURING, and SINCE"は、期間を示します。それぞれ特徴があります。
FOR
FOR は期間を表す時に使います。
They are married for thirty five years.
She is out of the office only for a few minutes.
SINCE
SINCE はある特定の時間以来という意味です。
She has been wating for someone since two oclock.
He has dreamed to be a doctor since he was a child.
DURING
DURING は、名詞が後に来ます。限定された期間を表します。
She has been wating for someone since two oclock.
He has dreamed to be a doctor since he was a child.
FOR と DURING は混乱しやすいので気をつけましょう。
I stayed Paris for ten days.
×I stayed Paris during ten days.
DURINGは、ある特定の期間で何かが起きた時に使う前置詞です。"during the winter," "during the vacation" と期間を表す名詞をとります。
一方 FOR は、"How long?" という質問に答えられる「期間」を示します。5 years, ten days といった期間を表す数詞が使われます。
I have lived in New York since 2000.
I have lived in New York for five years.
During these years, I have visited Washington D.C, Boston and Niagara Falls.
UNTIL(TILL), BY, BEFORE and THROUGH
UNTIL(TILL)
UNTIL は特定の時間までずっとという意味
He is in Florida until Friday.
She will not come back until two o'clock.
BY
BY は ある特定の時間までにという期限
I need to do this paper by Friday.
I took a tour of Manhattan by night.
UNTIL(TILL) と BY の違いは、UNTIL (TILL) は、動作がその時点まで続いていますが、BY はあくまで期限なので、動作がその前に終了しても良いのです。
I have to work until 5 p.m.
５時まで働かなければ行けない。５時前には帰れない。
I have to finish this paper by 5 p.m.
５時まで終わらせなければならない。５時前なら何時でも良い。
BEFORE
BEFORE は ある特定の時間の前
He arrived before 10 o'clock.
They will find out before long.
THROUGH
最初から最後、またはある特定の時間まで。
My nephews are too young to sit through a concert.
I'm halfway through her novel.
