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Writing Skills Topic One: Chronological Order-Signal Words for “Time”(I)

1. Preposition + Time

(1) In month/year/month year/century/era
(2) On day/date
(3) At o’clock (smallest unit of time)
(4) Period
During + a period of time
= from A (beginning point) to/till/until B (ending point)
= between A and B

(5) Not V. until + time (Ex. He didn’t call me until midnight.)
(6) Before/Prior to/Pre-/Preceding + time
(7) After/Since/Post-/Following
(8) By + time = Before and in + Time

Note: Before X is contrast to After X, where both “Before” and “After” do not include X.

2. Verb Tense

(1) Past: had been (period); was
(2) Now: is
(3) Future: will be; shall be; is going to be
(4) Always/at all times/on all occasions (Past-->Now-->Future)
(5) Never/not ever/hardly ever (Past-->Now-->Future)

Further Readings:
1. Teaching The Expression Of Time: A Concise Framework.