This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis, consult a professional.
The expression "be about to" is used to describe actions that will happen in the very near future, almost immediately. It emphasizes the imminence of the event.
Structure:
be (am, is, are, was, were) + about to + base form of the verb
Examples:
- "The movie is about to start." (The movie will begin in a few moments.)
- "I am about to go to bed." (I will go to bed very soon.)
- "They were about to leave when the phone rang." (They were on the verge of leaving, but the phone call interrupted them.)
Emphasis with "just":
You can add "just" before "about to" to further emphasize the immediacy of the action.
Examples:
- "The train is just about to leave." (The train will depart in a few seconds.)
- "I was just about to call you." (I was on the verge of calling you a moment ago.)
Past Tense:
The past tense of "be about to" (was/were about to) describes an action that was going to happen very soon in the past, but it may or may not have actually happened.
Examples:
- "I was about to ask him for help, but he offered it before I could say anything." (I was going to ask him, but he offered help before I had the chance.)
- "She was about to cry when he told her the good news." (She was on the verge of tears, but the good news changed her emotional state.)
Key points:
- "Be about to" expresses a higher degree of immediacy than other future forms like "will" or "going to."
- It is often used for events that are expected or planned.
- It can be used in both present and past tenses.
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