A1CEFRGrammar12 min

Grammar: Before, After, and Until

Cinema, TV and show times

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A1 Grammar • 12 Mins Theme: Cinema, TV & Show Times

Before, After, and Until

Learn how to use before, after, and until to talk about TV shows and movies.

💡

How to use this lesson

👩‍🏫 For the Teacher

• Use this 12-minute lesson to teach time prepositions with nouns and times.

• Check answers together after each practice section.

🧑‍🎓 For the Learner

• Read the 4 simple rules and examples first.

• Then answer the 12 practice questions from easy to hard.

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Grammar Rules

Rule 1

Before = Earlier than something else

Use before + a noun or a time to say what comes first.

RIGHT ✅

"We sit down before the show."

WRONG ❌

"We sit down before to the show."

Rule 2

After = Later than something else

Use after + a noun or a time to say what comes next.

RIGHT ✅

"We go home after the film."

WRONG ❌

"We go home after to the film."

Rule 3

Until = Goes on up to a time and stops

Use until + a noun or a time with wait, stay, or be open.

RIGHT ✅

"The cinema is open until ten o'clock."

WRONG ❌

"The cinema is open until to ten o'clock."

Rule 4

Pronouns after prepositions

After before, after, and until, use me, him, her, us, them. Never use I, he, she, we, they.

RIGHT ✅

"My sister sits in the row before me."

WRONG ❌

"My sister sits in the row before I."

Practice Exercises

12 Questions
Part 1: Choose the correct sentence
Question 1 (order)

Choose the correct sentence:

____ a. The weather report is before I. ____ b. The weather report is before the programme.
Question 2 (time)

Choose the correct sentence:

____ a. Please wait until the show starts. ____ b. Please wait until to the show starts.
Question 3 (people)

Choose the correct sentence:

____ a. The actor in the movie stands near the hero after we. ____ b. The actor in the movie stands near the hero after us.
Part 2: Rewrite the sentence with the other word (before/after) and swap the two things
Question 4 (swap)

Original: "The comedy is after the news."

Rewrite using before and swap the items:

____
Question 5 (swap)

Original: "The movie is before the drama."

Rewrite using after and swap the items:

____
Question 6 (swap)

Original: "The weather show is after noon."

Rewrite using before and swap the items:

____
Part 3: Fill the gap with before, after, or until
Question 7 (wait)

Please wait ____ noon to watch the new hero film.

Question 8 (first)

We find our seat in the row ____ the show starts, so we do not miss the start.

Question 9 (later)

We change the channel ____ the movie finishes.

Part 4: Correct the error in a short message to a friend
Question 10 (pronoun)
"Hi Sam! The drama is great. My friends sit in the row before they."

Type the correct word to replace they:

____
Question 11 (stop)
"The cinema stays open before 11 PM and then it closes."

Type the correct word to replace before:

____
Question 12 (time)
"The comedy programme starts after noon at 11:30 AM."

Type the correct word to replace after:

____

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