past
1.关于past和passed的区别,参见pass 7
2.I am past bearing it是“我不再能够忍耐这个了”。I am past being surprised是“我不再能够被使惊奇了”,就是说“我认为一切都不足为奇了”。但说“这个不再能够被人忍耐了”却说It is past bearing,不说It is past being borne。下面两句的结构都跟It is past bearing相同:
- A word spoken is past recalling.(一言既出,驷马难追。)
- Her ignorance is past believing.(她的无知到了使人不能相信的地步。)
3.注意下面各种表达方式里的past的位置。有了the,past用在名词前面。没有the,past用在名词后面:
- during the past year for the past few weeks
- for a long time past for some time past
- for some days past in times past
4.过了半小时以上不该用past,如可以说twenty-nine minutes past ten和half past ten,但不可说thirty-one minutes past ten,该改作twenty-nine minutes to eleven。
5.half past ten(10点半)里的past是介词,between ten and half past和at ten (o'clock) or half past里在past后面省去ten。