Conjunction Use
连词用法
1. 和我不一样，她对英语很精通。
Incorrect: Different from me, she is proficient in English.
Correct: Unlike me, she is proficient in English.
2. 莫妮卡，借我点钱吧，比方说500美元。
Incorrect: Lend me some money, for instance 500 dollars, Monika.
Correct: Lend me some money, say 500 dollars, Monika.
3. 去年夏天我本想去欧洲，但费用太高于是放弃了。
Incorrect: I wanted to go to Europe last summer, but it was too expensive so I gave up to go.
Correct: I wanted to go to Europe last summer, but it was too expensive so I gave up the idea.
4. 我就是这样做的。
Incorrect: This is the way how I did it.
Correct: This is how I did it. or This is the way I did it.
5. 我来这儿的路上遇到了交通事故，所以迟到了。
Incorrect: There was a traffic accident on my way here. It is why I was late.
Correct: There was a traffic accident on my way here. That is why I was late.
6. 他们不理解我的想法。
Incorrect: They didn't understand my mind.
Correct: They didn't understand what I was thinking.
7. 无论是他们还是我都不对这个错误负责。
Incorrect: Neither they nor I are to blame for this mistake.
Correct: Neither they nor I am to blame for this mistake.
连词before的奇葩用法
Before用作连词本意是“在……之前”。其实它引导状语从句时，不同语境下常引申为不同的含义。
1.表示“……才”，强调某事发生得晚或慢。
The American Civil War lasted four years _______ the North won in the end.(广东)
A. after B. before C. when D. then
解析：答案为B。本句含义“美国南北战争持续了四年，北方才最终取得胜利”，可知本题应选B。
2. 表示“……还没来得及……就……”。强调从句动作发生之前，主句动作已发生。
—Why didn't you tell him about the meeting? (四川卷)
— He rushed out of the room _________ I could say a word.
A. before B. until C. when D. after
解析：答案为A。句意是“我还没来得及说一句话，他就冲出了房间”。
3. 用于句型“It will/would be some time before...”句型中，表示“要过多久才…”；
其否定形式“It won't/wouldn't be some time before…”表示“过不了多久就……”。
The field research will take Joan and Paul about five months; it will be a long time _____ we meet them again.（安徽卷）
A. after B. before C. since D. when
—How long do you think it will be ______China sends a manned spaceship to the moon? （2006福建）
—Perhaps two or three years.
A. when B. until C. that D. before
It ______ long before we _____ the result of the experiment.( 上海)
A. will not be...will know B. is...will know
C. will not be...know D. is...know
解析：前两个考题before 用于“It will be some time before...”句型，表示“要过多久…才…”。
考题3 before在本题中用于否定句,意为“过不了多久就会……”,再由状语从句要用一般现在时的用法可知C项为正确答案,句意是:要不了多久我们就会知道试验的结果了。
4. 用于句型 “it was some time before …” 表示 “过了（多长时间）才……”。其否定形式“ it was not some time before …” 意为“没过多长时间就……”。
It was some time ___________we realized the truth. （山东）
A. when B. until C. since D. before
解析：答案为D。题意是“过了一段时间我们才意识到事情的真相”。
5. 和hardly连用，表示“刚一……就……”。该结构主句常用过去完成时，当hardly位于句首时，要用倒装语序.
I had hardly sat down before/when the telephone rang.
Hardly had I sat down before/when the telephone rang.
我刚一坐下电话就响了。
6. 和其它相似句型的区别
1）“It is/has been some time since sb. did...”表示“自从某人做某事已经有多长时间了”。
2）“It be +时间点 + when引导的时间状语从句”表示“某个动作发生时，是某个时间”。主句谓语动词可以是一般过去时，也可以是一般将来时。
It is almost five years we saw each other last time. （北京）
A. before B. since C. after D. when
— Did Jack come back early last night? （福建）
— Yes. It was not yet eight o’ clock ______ he arrived home.
A. before B. when C. that D. until
解析：答案为BB。考题（1）句意是“自从上次我们见面以来已经近五年没有见了”，故选择答案B。考题（2）句意是“他昨晚回家时还不到8点”，故选择答案B。
