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last year

fixed phr..
A1 Beginner Oxford

fixed phr.. The year before the current one.

fixed phr.. An adverbial phrase of time referring to the calendar year immediately preceding the current one.


SIMPLE

The photos from last year are in this album.

CONTEXTUAL

She graduated from university last year and started her new job in January.

COMPLEX

The controversial legislation passed last year continues to be a major point of contention in political debates across the country.

Usage

This phrase functions as an adverb of time and does not require a preposition like 'in' or 'on'.

Teaching tip

Contrast 'last year' (the previous calendar year, e.g., 2023) with 'the last year' (the 365 days leading up to the present moment).

Pitfall

We went to Italy in last year.We went to Italy last year.Time expressions beginning with 'last', 'next', 'this', or 'every' do not use prepositions.

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