About to do something
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定义
to be (just) about to do (something): （正）准备要做（某事）
I was about to leave. I'll stay now that you're here. 我本来正准备离开，现在既然你在，我就待着了。
示例
- "Brian : Well, I was just about to phone a hotel to reserve a room for Bruno's trip to New York next month."
- "However, it must be said that we are not about to cut our ties with our current suppliers to enable Delavigne and its subsidiaries to create a skin-care monopoly."
- "You can sit down now Jean, the game is about to start."
- "I think somebody might be about to steal my identity and my money."
- "You see, a small company listed on NASDAQ is about to announce an important technological breakthrough."
- "Luna : I'm just about to."
- "I was just about to give you your wake-up call."
- "Right, so then just as I'm about to take off her skirt, my phone rings and it's Michelle, the other girl that I was supposed to see."
- "We have never given in to thinly veiled threats or strong-arming in the past, and we are not about to start now."
练习 1
Select all the TRUE statements from the list below.
(Be careful, there may be more than one.)
(Be careful, there may be more than one.)
Select all the TRUE statements from the list below.
(Be careful, there may be more than one.)
(Be careful, there may be more than one.)
The statement is true. Moira encourages Lance to "file his report" from the nearest city in order to avoid the volcano, and Brent reminds Lance that if the volcano erupts, he will be covered in toxic gases and lava. Both Brent and Moira are concerned about Lance's safety.
Although Lance does mention that the region from which he is reporting "is controlled by dangerous Zapatista rebels", Lance's mission is not to report on them. The "top story" of today's news is the volcano which could erupt any minute. The subject of the report and the purpose of Lance's visit is the active volcano, and not the Zapatista rebels.
This statement is true. Lance says that he is reporting from "El Chichon", an active volcano which could erupt "at any minute". If a volcano is "about to erupt", then it will erupt shortly.
Lance repeatedly says "I'm a man." There is no doubt about it, Lance is a man.
练习 2
Luna: "I'm just about to."
This is an unusual use of the expression just about. From the list below, select the sentence(s) which use "just about" correctly.
There may be more than one correct answer!
This is an unusual use of the expression just about. From the list below, select the sentence(s) which use "just about" correctly.
There may be more than one correct answer!
Luna: "I'm just about to."
This is an unusual use of the expression just about. From the list below, select the sentence(s) which use "just about" correctly.
There may be more than one correct answer!
This is an unusual use of the expression just about. From the list below, select the sentence(s) which use "just about" correctly.
There may be more than one correct answer!
This sentence uses "to be just about to" correctly. To be "just about to do something" expresses the idea of an imminent action; something which you will do almost immediately.
This is grammatically incorrect. It should read 'I live in an apartment just by/just near the train station.
This is a correct usage of "to be just about to". We say that we are "just about to do something" when we will take an action in the very near future.
This sentence used "just about" correctly. This is a different usage from the one we heard in the dialogue. Here, "just about enough" means "more-or-less enough" or "practically enough".
练习 3
Polly: Philip, have you been talking me my back again?
Philip: How about for a walk together so we can talk this issue?
Polly: I’m to leave, so no. Also I don’t like anything you.
Philip: How about for a walk together so we can talk this issue?
Polly: I’m to leave, so no. Also I don’t like anything you.
Polly: Philip, have you been talking about 1 me behind 2 my back again?
Philip: How about going 3 for a walk together so we can talk about 4 this issue?
Polly: I’m about 5 to leave, so no. Also I don’t like anything about 6 you.
Philip: How about going 3 for a walk together so we can talk about 4 this issue?
Polly: I’m about 5 to leave, so no. Also I don’t like anything about 6 you.
1 about: 'To talk about' someone is to discuss them or say things relating to them. Another example: 'Why are you guys always talking about Pete? It's like you're obsessed with him!'.
1 around: We cannot 'talk around' someone in English. However, we can 'talk around a subject', meaning that we avoid mentioning it directly. For example: 'If they mention the radioactive fish we serve, try to talk around the subject'.
1 behind: We do not generally 'talk behind' someone in English, although we can talk, or do something, 'behind someone's back' (without them knowing). 'Behind' refers to a position to the rear of something. For example: 'The cinema is behind the town hall'.
2 behind: 'To talk about someone behind their back' means to discuss them without them knowing, or when they are not present. This idiom generally implies that negative or unpleasant things were said. For example: 'Flora is always friendly to me in person, but I'm sure she talks about me behind my back'.
2 around: We do not use 'around' in this idiom. 'Around' describes movement along the edge or perimeter of something. For example: 'We walked all the way around the concert hall, but couldn't find the entrance'.
2 about: 'About' does not make sense at this point in the sentence. Polly could say 'Have you been talking about my back again?' (Have you been discussing the part of my body on the opposite side to my chest?), but that would be a rather unusual sentence.
3 going: The phrase 'How about', when used to make a suggestion, is generally followed by the '-ing' form of the verb. Another example: 'How about cooking a nice dinner together?'.
3 to go: We never use the infinitive form of the verb after 'how about'.
3 go: We cannot use this form of the verb here. In spoken English, it would be possible to say 'How about we go for a walk?'. However, the '-ing' form is more common and more correct.
4 about: 'To talk about' something is to discuss it. Philip is suggesting that he and Polly have a conversation regarding her complaint. Another example: 'You seem upset. Do you want to talk about what happened?'.
4 around: 'To talk around' a subject is to avoid mentioning it directly. For example: 'I wanted to discuss the divorce, but my father just talked around the subject all evening'. Philip is very unlikely to be suggesting this, and much more likely to suggest to Polly that they discuss the issue that she is referring to.
4 from: We cannot 'talk from' an issue or topic in English. However, we can 'talk from the heart', which means to express oneself with emotional honesty and authenticity.
5 about: If someone is 'about to' do something, then they plan to do it immediately, or very soon. For example: 'That man is about to jump off that bridge! Somebody stop him!'.
5 off: We cannot use 'off' in this sentence. However, if we removed the verb 'to leave', Polly could simply say 'I'm off', which is a colloquial way of saying 'I'm leaving'. For example: 'I've had enough of this film. I'm off.'
5 around: We cannot use 'around' in this sentence. If someone is 'around', it means that they are somewhere nearby, but we don't know exactly where. For example: -Have you seen Jean anywhere? -He's around, somewhere in the office.
6 about: When Polly says 'I don't like anything about you', it means that there is no aspect of Philip's personality which she finds pleasing. 'About' in this context means 'concerning' or 'relating to'. Another example: 'I'm fascinated by you. I want to know everything about you.'
6 of: We cannot use 'of' in this sentence: it doesn't work after the word 'anything'. However, Polly could say 'I don't like any part of you' or 'I don't like any aspect of you'.
6 from: It doesn't make sense to use 'from' in this sentence. We might say 'I don't believe anything that comes from Philip', meaning 'I don't believe anything that Philip says or writes'.
练习 4
Cat #1: How about to hunt some mice? It might take your mind off losing your testicles.
Cat #2: I was just about to sit on the fence and meow at the futility of existence.
Cat #1: I’m sure we can do both.
Cat #2: I was just about to sit on the fence and meow at the futility of existence.
Cat #1: I’m sure we can do both.
Cat #1: How about going 1 to hunt some mice? It might take your mind off losing your testicles.
Cat #2: I was just about to go 2 sit on the fence and meow at the futility of existence.
Cat #1: I’m sure we can do both.
Cat #2: I was just about to go 2 sit on the fence and meow at the futility of existence.
Cat #1: I’m sure we can do both.
1 going: The phrase 'How about (going to the zoo)', when used to make a suggestion, is often followed by the '-ing' form of the verb. Another example: 'How about waking up our owners by sitting on their faces?'.
1 go: We cannot use this form of the verb here. In spoken English, it would be possible to say 'How about we go and hunt some mice?'. However, the '-ing' form is more common.
1 we will go: We cannot use the future tense after the phrase 'how about'. The future tense is generally used to talk about something already planned, not to make a suggestion. For example: 'We will go as soon as we are ready'.
2 go: 'I was about to go' means 'I was planning to go shortly' or 'very soon'. This sentence indicates that the second cat was close to going when the first cat spoke to him. Another example: -Want to come to the pub? -I was about to go home, but OK.
2 going: We cannot use the '-ing' form of the verb after 'about to'. We generally use the '-ing' form to refer to ongoing actions. For example: 'I am smoking a cigar right now'; 'She was hoping he would talk to her'.
2 went: We cannot use the simple past tense after 'about to'. We generally use the simple past to refer to a completed action in the past. For example: 'I'm glad that I went to that burrito conference'.
练习 5
Reporter: The President is give a press conference. Nobody knows what it will be , but there are rumors that she will resign. Whatever happens, her speech is likely to some major changes.
Reporter: The President is about to 1 give a press conference. Nobody knows what it will be about 2, but there are rumors that she will resign. Whatever happens, her speech is likely to bring about 3 some major changes.
1 about to: 'The President is about to give a press conference' means that the President will give a press conference very soon, in a few moments. We use the phrase 'to be about to' to refer to an action planned or predicted for the very near future. For example: 'Please stop talking. I am about to lose my patience with you.'
1 about: This sentence doesn't make sense without the word 'to'.
2 about: 'Nobody knows what it will be about' means that nobody knows what the topic or subject of the press conference will be. 'About' in this context means 'relating to', 'concerning'. Another example: -I'm writing a love story. -Cool, what's it about? -Erm, love.
2 about to: We cannot use 'about to' in this context. 'About to' is always foilowed by a verb, and it indicates that something will happen very soon. For example: 'That bomb is about to explode!'.
3 bring about: 'To bring about' means to cause or trigger something. For example: 'The government's policy change has brought about a series of protests'.
3 come about: 'Come about' is an intransitive verb, meaning that it cannot have an object. If something 'comes about', then it happens, or is caused. For example: 'How did this problem come about?'.
进一步了解…
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