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x years ago

fixed phr..
A1 Beginner Oxford

fixed phr.. This phrase tells you when something happened in the past. You use a time period like 'two days' or 'ten years' before 'ago' to say how long before now it was.

fixed phr.. A temporal adverbial phrase, `[duration] + ago`, indicating a point in time calculated by subtracting a specified duration from the present moment.


SIMPLE

I moved to this city five years ago.

CONTEXTUAL

She started her company ten years ago with just a small loan from her family.

COMPLEX

The geological event that shaped this valley occurred millions of years ago, long before any human settlement.

Usage

This phrase always uses the simple past tense because it refers to a specific, finished time before now.

Teaching tip

Contrast 'ago' (which counts back from the present) with 'before' (which counts back from a past reference point, often with the past perfect).

Pitfall

I have seen that movie two years ago.I saw that movie two years ago.Because 'ago' refers to a specific, finished time, use the simple past tense, not the present perfect.

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