I am convinced that both my long age and exceptional health are to be explained by
1604英语
an obvious facts: I never touched a cigarette, a drink, or a girl until I was almost ten years old.
我深深相信我的长寿和我格外健康可以由一个显而易见的事实来解释：我从来没有接触过一根烟、一口酒、一个女孩子，在我差不多10岁以前。 1604.cn
（我直到差不多10岁才接触烟、酒、女孩子。）
Horse owner: This horse is eight-years- old and he’s never raced before.
Jockey: How come?
Horse Owner: Well, we couldn’t catch him until he was seven.
马主：这匹马8岁了，他以前从来没有参加过比赛。
职业骑师：怎么会呢？
马主：直到他7岁我们才抓住它。
3．Till不可以置于句首，而until可以。 mmkey.net
Until the horse was seven we couldn’t catch him.
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4．Not…until句型中的强调和倒装。
MMKEY文摘
It was not until he was seven that we could catch him .（强调句型）
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Not until he was seven could we catch him.（not until置于句首，主句要倒装）
四、before和since 英语文摘
1．若表达“还未…就….；不到…就….；才….；趁…；还没来得及”时，需用连词before。（都可以理解成是“在…..之前”） 1604英语
I have to exercise early in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing.
每天一大早儿趁我的大脑还不知道我在做什么之前我必须锻炼。
注：早上起床后晕晕忽忽就开始锻炼，等大脑清醒后，就不想锻炼了。
If people waited to know one another before they married, the world wouldn’t be so over-populated. 英语文摘
如果人们都要等相互了解对方后才结婚，世界人口就不会这么过剩了。
MMKEY文摘
2．Before从句中谓语不用否定式。（同样也可理解成“在…..之前”）
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Texan: Back home on my ranch（大农场） I can get in my car at dawn, drive all day, 英.语.文.摘
and it’ll be dark before I reach the end of my property.（财产） www.mmkey.com
Vermonter: I had a car like that once. 1604英语
Texan：在我老家里的大农场里我一大早上车，开一整天，还没到达另一边前天就会黑下来。 www.mmkey.com
Vermonter：我也曾经有一辆那样的汽车。
1604_cn
注：本来想吹自己农场大，对方却说自己的车破。
3．It will be + 段时间 + before…..多久之后才…..（在…..之前）
1604.cn
"It will be years -- not in my time -- before a woman will become Prime Minister." -- Margaret Thatcher, 1974.
还要过很多年女人才能当上首相，但我是看不到了——撒其尔＿1974
注：这是英国首相撒其尔年轻时的言论，后来她不仅看到了，而且是自己成了英国女首相。 www.mmkey.com
4．Since从句的谓语动词一般是非延续性动词，主句的谓语动词是延续性的或者是反复发生过的。Since从句的时态若是一般过去式，相应地，主句中的时态是现在完成时或现在完成进行式。如： 1604_cn
Angry librarian: Please be quite. The people near you can’t read.
Little boy: Why, they ought to be ashamed of themselves. I’ve been able to read since I was six.
生气的图书管理员：请安静。挨着你的人看不了书了。
小男孩：他们真应该感到害羞，我六岁时就能读了。 英语文摘
A young man hadnt handed in one homework assignment since they started the class.
“Won’t you please do tonight’s assignment?”
“What? And ruin a perfect record?”
从开课以来，有个年轻人从没交过作业。
“你不做今晚的作业吗”？
“什么？要毁掉一个完美的记录吗”？ 1604.cn
5．在“it is + 段时间 + since从句”句型中，时间的计算一律从since从句的动作完成或状态结束时算起。 www.mmkey.com
It is three years since the war broke out.
It is three years since she was in our class. mmkey.com
It is three years since she lived here.
It is three years since I smoked a cigar (=since I stopped smoking a cigar) mmkey.com
It is three years since I began to smoke.
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五、every time, each time, next time, the first time, any time, all the time等名词短语用来引导时间状语从句，表示“每当…..，每次…..；下次……”等。 英语文摘
Employer to applicant: "In this job we need someone who is responsible."
Applicant: "I'm the one you want. On my last job, every time anything went wrong, 1604.cn
they said I was responsible."
雇主对应聘者说：“我们需要一个负责任的人”。
应聘者：“我就是你们要找的人，我上一个工作每次出了差错，他们都说我负责”。
1604_cn
Teacher: Bob, can you explain inflation?
Bob: Sure. Every time my dad pays the bills, he blows up. That’s inflation[通货膨胀].
老师：Bob，你能解释一下通货膨胀吗？
Bob：当然。我爸爸每次付帐单时，他就发脾气（爆炸），那就是通货膨胀。
注：blow up：爆炸；发脾气。
1604英语
场景再现：演讲时调节气氛：
I dont want to brag, but the last time I made the speech it brought the audience to its feet. And they didnt sit down again until they reached their cars.
我不想吹牛，但上次我演讲时所有的观众都站起来（欢呼），他们再也没有坐下，直到到达他们的汽车。
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注：观众站起来都走了。 英语文摘
当然，萝卜青菜，各有所爱，如果你觉得哪个句子不幽默，不好玩儿，欢迎指出来，我会免费赞美你。
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