Preposition – “Before”
Preposition – “Before”
Preposition before with the meaning – till, earlier:
Here are some examples of the preposition before used with the meaning of till or earlier than the time or event mentioned:
Before five o’clock: I’ll meet you at the park before five o’clock.
Before dinner: Let’s go for a walk before dinner to work up an appetite.
Before the end of December: We need to finish the project before the end of December to meet the deadline.
Before the holiday: She always likes to complete her packing the night before the holiday.
Before my birthday: I hope to finish reading this book before my birthday next month.
Preposition before with the meaning – in front of:
Here are examples of the preposition before used to refer to a place with the meaning of in front of or in a location ahead of:
Before a bookshop: She waited before the bookshop, eagerly anticipating its opening.
Before us: The path splits into two trails; the one before us leads to the waterfall.
Before the cinema: Let’s meet before the cinema so we can buy tickets together.
Before the garden: The picnic area is right before the garden, offering a lovely view of the flowers.
Prepositions -Before = In front of:
In front of and before can sometimes be used interchangeably as prepositions, but there are subtle differences in their usage.
In front of typically suggests a physical location or position and is often used when describing the relative placement of objects or people.
It is commonly used to indicate that something or someone is physically ahead or facing a particular reference point.
Example: The car is parked in front of the house.
Before can also indicate a physical location or position, but it has a broader range of meanings.
It can refer to both physical placement and a point in time.
When used in a spatial context, it often suggests something being located ahead or in advance of a reference point.
Example 1 (spatial): She stood before the judge in the courtroom.
(In this case, before indicates her physical position in front of the judge.)
Example 2 (temporal): The appointment is scheduled for 10 AM, but please arrive a few minutes before.
(Here, before refers to a point in time, suggesting arriving ahead of the scheduled time.)
Before as an adverb:
When before is used as an adverb with the meaning of earlier or the previous day, it often refers to a point in time that occurred earlier in relation to the specified time frame.
Here are examples:
The week before: I went on a vacation the week before last, and it was amazing.
(Refers to the previous week, the week immediately preceding the present time.)
The day before: He completed all his preparations the day before the exam.
(Refers to the day immediately preceding the day of the exam.)
The year before: They got married the year before they had their first child.
(Refers to the year immediately preceding the birth of their first child.)
The month before: She started her new job the month before her birthday.
(Refers to the month immediately preceding her birthday.)
Before as a conjunction:
Here are examples of before used as a conjunction in adverbial clauses of time:
Before he returns, I need to finish cleaning the house.
(Adverbial clause of time: Indicates that the action of cleaning the house needs to be completed earlier than the time when he returns.)
You should submit your application before the deadline approaches.
(Adverbial clause of time: Suggests that the application submission should occur earlier than the approaching deadline.)
Please call me before you leave for the airport.
(Adverbial clause of time: Indicates that the phone call should happen earlier than the departure time for the airport.)
We’ll have a meeting before the event starts.
(Adverbial clause of time: Specifies that the meeting will occur earlier than the commencement of the event.)
Here are some common expressions with before:
Before you know it: Something happens quickly or unexpectedly.
The day before yesterday: Refers to two days ago.
Before my time: Something that happened or existed before someone was born or became involved.
Before long: In the near future.
Before the ink is dry: Refers to something happening immediately or very quickly after it’s planned or decided.
Beforehand: In advance or before a particular time or event.
Before my very eyes: Something that happens right in front of you, often used to express surprise or disbelief.
Before the fact: Refers to actions taken before an event or decision was made.
Before you can say (something): Happening very quickly or instantly.
Before the storm: A calm period before a difficult or challenging time.
Before the break of dawn: Just before sunrise.
Before the sun sets: Refers to something happening or being completed before the end of the day.
.The day before: This expression refers to the day immediately preceding a specified day.
Before now: This expression suggests that something should have happened or been done at an earlier time, emphasizing a delay or missed opportunity.
Preposition – “Among (Amongst)”
The Preposition place in sentences