ago, since

ago, since
These words refer to past time, but they should not be used together. Do not write "It was five years ago since I last saw Ben." Follow ago with that or omit ago: "It was five years ago that I last saw Ben." "It is five years since I last saw Ben." The construction ago since is both wordy and illogical. Ago carries thought from present to past time; since conveys thought from past to present. Our minds are shaky already; they are not helped by meeting themselves coming back.

Dictionary of problem words and expressions. . 1975.

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  • ago — ago, since Ago is followed by that, not since, in constructions of the type It is 10 years ago that [not since] he died. Since is used without ago: e.g. It is 10 years since he died …   Modern English usage

  • since — ago, since Ago is followed by that, not since, in constructions of the type It is 10 years ago that [not since] he died. Since is used without ago: e.g. It is 10 years since he died …   Modern English usage

  • since — Synonyms and related words: aeons ago, after, after all, after that, afterwards, ages ago, ago, as, as long as, as things go, back, back when, backward, because, behind, being, being as how, below, cause, considering, ever since, ex post facto,… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • ago — adverb before the present (used with a measurement of time). Origin ME ago, agone, past participle of the obs. verb ago pass , used to express passage of time. Usage When ago is followed by a clause, the clause should be introduced by that rather …   English new terms dictionary

  • since — See ago, since See since, yet …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • ago — See ago, since …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • since — W1S1 [sıns] prep, conj, adv [: Old English; Origin: siththan, from sith tham since that ] 1.) [generally used with a perfect tense in the main clause] from a particular time or event in the past until the present, or in that period of time ▪ We… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Since — (s[i^]ns), adv. [For sins, contr. fr. OE. sithens, sithenes, formed by an adverbial ending (cf. {Besides}) from OE. sithen, also shortened into sithe, sin, AS. si[eth][eth]an, sy[eth][eth]an, seo[eth][eth]an, afterward, then, since, after;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Ago Silde — (born November 25, 1963 in Keila) is the current governor of the Estonian county of Ida Viru.BiographySilde graduated from the Kehtna Vocational Training School with honors in 1983 and continued his studies at the Estonian Agricultural Academy… …   Wikipedia

  • ago — [adv] in the past ages ago, back, back when, before, from way back, from year one*, gone, since, since God knows when*, time was; concept 820 …   New thesaurus

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