ENGLISH
REFERENCE

in the middle of sth

prep. phr..
A2 Elementary Oxford

prep. phr.. This means you are in the center of a place, or that you are busy doing an activity when something else happens.

prep. phr.. A prepositional phrase that introduces a spatial, temporal, or activity-based frame in which an event is situated or interrupted.


SIMPLE

There is a big table in the middle of the room.

CONTEXTUAL

Sorry I missed your call; I was in the middle of cooking dinner.

COMPLEX

The company found itself in the middle of a public relations crisis after the CEO's controversial comments were leaked to the press.

Usage

This phrase is followed by a noun or a gerund phrase that names the place, time, or activity.

Teaching tip

Point out that 'in the middle of' applies both to physical space (a room) and to ongoing activities or events (a meeting, cooking).

Pitfall

I am in middle of an important project.I am in the middle of an important project.The definite article 'the' is a required part of this fixed phrase.

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