|   
			ESL Forum: 
			
			
			
			Techniques and methods 
			in Language Teaching 
			
			Games, activities 
			and teaching ideas 
			
			Grammar and 
			Linguistics 
			
			
			Teaching material 
			
			
			Concerning 
			worksheets 
			
			
			Concerning 
			powerpoints 
			
			
			Concerning online 
			exercises 
			
			
			Make suggestions, 
			report errors 
			
			
			Ask for help 
			
			
			
			Message board 
			  
			
			
			
			
			 | 
 		
		
		ESL forum >
		
		
		Ask for help > Help..     
			
		 Help.. 
		
			| 
				
					| 
					
					
 
 lusil
 
   | 
						
							| Help.. 
 |  
							| dear teachers, would u please correct this sentence.. 
 Before, he was very dilligent, but now he is very lazy.
 
 is it correct to use before in that sentence,or is there any other word to replace it?
 
 |  15 Dec 2011      
					
					 |  |  
			| 
 
					
					
					
				 
 |  
			| 
				
					| 
					
					
 
 kodora
 
   | 
						
							| He used to be very dilligent,but now he is very lazy. I think that sounds much better.
 Dora
 
 |  15 Dec 2011     
					
                     |  |  
			| 
				
					| 
					
					
 
 mariec
 
   | 
						
							| You could say "He used to be very dilligent, but now ... ... "   "Before" is all right, but I�d use when he was younger or last year something more definite. |  15 Dec 2011     
					
                     |  |  
			| 
				
					| 
					
					
 
 cindyfreksen
 
   | 
						
							| For me before suggests that something has happened. 
 I.e. My pupil fell off his bicycle. Before the accident he was diligent, but now he is lazy.
 
 You could leave out "the accident" and it would still be ok.
 Although your sentence is correct grammatically, it doesn �t really make sense on its own. It needs a sentence to clarify; before what.
 
 
 
 
 |  15 Dec 2011     
					
                     |  |  
			| 
				
					| 
					
					
 
 douglas
 
   | 
						
							| It�s not wrong, but it sounds awkward.  I would say "In the past, he was..."  or "Before he turned 40, he was..." |  15 Dec 2011     
					
                     |  |  
			|  |  
			| 
				
					| 
					
					
 
 Adri Ana
 
   | 
						
							| He used to be very dilligent, but now he �s really lazy. 
 Let �s choose "He used to be" to express his routine in the past and "really lazy" to avoid the repetition of  �very �.
 
 |  16 Dec 2011     
					
                     |  |  
			| 
				
					| 
					
					
 
 lusil
 
   | 
						
							| thank u very much everyone.. it �s really helpful.. 
 God bless u all...
 
 |  17 Dec 2011     
					
                     |  |  
	
	   |