till 与until都可用作介词或连词,其用法有两种:1)用在肯定句中,意为"到.(的时候)为止",谓语动词一般是延续性的,表示这个动词的动作一直延续到till(until)所表示的时间为止.例如:They talked till/until dawn.他们一直谈到天亮.2)用在否定句中,意为"直到.才",表示这个动词的动作直到till/until所表示的时间才发生.例如：They are not going back to work until/till they get more money.他们要等到加了工资才复工.这两个词一般情况下可通用,但以下两种情况只能用until,不能用till:1)用于句首时.例如:Until you told me I had no idea of it.在你告诉我之前,我对此事一无所知.2)在以not开头的短语或从句里.例如:Not until eleven o"clock did we get home.我们直到十一点才回家.注意:till(until)只用来引导时间,不能用于指距离.试译:我们走到树林边.误:We walked till/until the edge of the forest.正:We walked to the edge of the forest.
till / until在表达方式和意义上的特殊性：until是till的强调形式,但是它们表达的意义是相同的,都表示"直到某时".不过,当主句是否定句时,它引出的意思是"直到（某时）（某动作）才（发生）" ,这时候常会出现"not until …"的结构,如果将 "not until …"的结构放在句首,那么主句要写成倒装句.例如：
He didn't go to sleep until 12 last night .
他昨晚直到十二点钟才睡觉.
They didn't realize their fault till we pointed it out to them .
直到我们向他们指出了他们的错误,他们才意识到.
Not until we pointed out their fault to them did they realize it .
直到我们向他们指出了他们的错误,他们才意识到.
但是,当主句是肯定句时,它引出的意思是"直到（某时某动作停止了）" .例如：
The students made much noise till the teacher came into the classroom .
直到老师走进教室学生们才停止了大声喧哗.
The young couple were very happy until they used up all their money .
那对年青夫妇直到花光了所有的钱才沮丧起来.
另外,until 可以放在句首而till则不行.我们可以说：Until they used up all their money,the young couple were very happy .我们却不可以说：Till they used up all their money,the young couple were very happy .
此两个连词意义相同.肯定形式表示的意思是"做某事直至某时",动词必须是延续性的.否定形式表达的意思是"直至某时才做某事".动词为延续性或非延续性都可 以.正确使用这两个连词的关键之一就在于判断句中的动词该用肯定式还是否定式.
肯定句：
I slept until midnight.我一直睡到半夜时醒了.
Wait till I call you.等着我叫你.
（在肯定句中可用before代替 Let's get in the wheat before the sun sets.）
否定句：
She didn't arrive until 6 o'clock.
她直到6点才到.
Don't get off the bus until it has stopped.
公共汽车停稳后再下车.
I didn't manage to do it until you had explained how.直到你教我后,我才会做.
1)Until可用于句首,而till通常不用于句首.
Until you told me,I had heard nothing of what happened.
直到你告诉我以前,出了什么事我一点也不知道.
2)Until when 疑问句中,until要放在句首.
---Until when are you staying?你呆到什么时候?
--- Until next Monday.呆到下周一.
注意：否定句可用另外两种句式表示.
(1）Not until …在句首,主句用倒装.
Not until the early years of the 19th century did man know what heat is.
直到19 世纪初,人类才知道热能是什么.
Not until I began to work did I realize how much time I had wasted.
直到我开始工作,我才认识到了我已蹉跎了几多岁月.
(2) It is not until… that…
______________________________________
hardly ever 是几乎不的意思
但hardly 还有很难,刚刚,勉强是,几乎不的意思.
_____haldly ever 是程度副词与seldom(很少）意思与hadly ever一样 ）但与hardly 不能替换使用 用中文翻译过来的词都不大恰当 从中文讲 几乎不 与 几乎从不 是差不多的 但英文不一样 这点要注意
至于hardly +肯定 通常可以与 almost+否定 互换
确切地说 不是 “几乎不 和 几乎从不 有什么不一样吗?” 应该用英文理解
______________________________
lots of＝a lot of 后面接可数名词和不可数名词均可,接可数名词时谓语用复数,接不可数名词时,谓语用单数.