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ago

Word order: six weeks ago​

Ago follows an expression of time.

  • I met her six weeks ago. (not … ago six weeks.)
  • a long time ago

Tenses​

An expression with ago refers to a finished time, and is normally used with a past tense, not a present perfect (see here).

  • She phoned a few minutes ago. (not She has phoned …)
  • ‘Where’s Mike? ’ ‘He was working outside ten minutes ago.’

The difference between ago and for​

Ago says how long before the present something happened; for (with a past tense) says how long it lasted. Compare:

  • He died three years ago. (= three years before now) (not He died for three years.) or … for three years ago.

  • He was ill for three years before he died. (= His illness lasted three years.)

ago and before with time expressions: counting back​

We use ago with a past tense and a time expression to ‘count back’ from the present; to say how long before now something happened.

We can use before in the same way (with a past perfect tense) to count back from a past moment. Compare:

  • I met that woman in Scotland three years ago. (not … three years before / before three years.)
  • When we got talking, I found out that I had been at school with her husband ten years before. (not … ten years ago.)

note

For other uses of before, (see here), (see here).