Using the word through

[Viviana]

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #84 "Simple Present (1)", question 7

He simply thinks to himself: 'I live in a small village by a little stream and ......... this time of year lots of creatures start to wake up and make a lot of noise.'

(a) across
(b) through
(c) around
(d) against

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #84 "Simple Present (1)", answer 7

He simply thinks to himself: 'I live in a small village by a little stream and around this time of year lots of creatures start to wake up and make a lot of noise.'

Correct answer: (c) around

Your answer was: incorrect
He simply thinks to himself: 'I live in a small village by a little stream and through this time of year lots of creatures start to wake up and make a lot of noise.'
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Why i can't use through?

[Daniela]

Dear Viviana,
“Around this time of the year” means “close to this time of the year”.
You can say also “during this time of the year” but not “through this time of the year”.
But you can look THROUGH the window DURING the long break.
Daniela
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[Kati Svaby]

around this time I understood this phrase not during this time but approximately this time.
Is it correct?

[Alan]

Hi Kati,

'Around this time' suggests 'at about this time' as in: Around this time of the year the leaves in the trees start to turn golden brown.

Alan
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[Kati Svaby]

Many thanks and when I wrote "approximately" if I could have remembered "at about this time" I would have written this.

Regards:
Kati Svaby

[Niaz1]

i still can't understand why we could not use the through?

[Kati Svaby]

Hello Niaz,

If you see Daniela's answer you can see her example :
through the window
during the long break

This can mean that through is used with objects and not time. I checked in the Oxford English Dictionary where except the 3. 5. points where through concerns the time but with a different meaning; in the others 1-2-4-6 it concerns objects or substance.

3.from the beginning to the end of an activity.
-The children are too young to sit through a concert.
- He will not live through the night.
-I'm halfway through(=reading) on her second novel.

5.if it concerns the time it means:until, and including
-for exp:We'll be in New York Tuesday through Friday.

The others concern objects or substance.

1.From one end/side of sth to the other.
-The burglar got in through the window.
-Her knees went through her jeans.
-I pushed my way through the crowd.
-The Danube flows through Budapest.

2.see, hear sth from an other side of an object or substance.
-I couldn't hear their conversation through the wall.
-I could just make out three people through the mist.

4.past a barrier, stage or test
-Go through this gate.
-Drive through the red light.
-I have to get through the exams.

6.by means of; because of
-You can only achieve success through hard work.
-It was through him (=as a result of his help) that I got that job.
-The accident happened not through fault of mine.

It was good for me also. I can use it better.

Bye:
Kati

[Niaz1]

i appreciate about your completely answer Kati Svaby.

[Kati Svaby]

Hi Niaz,

It was good for me also. I hope that I will remember these things that I had written.
Bye.

[Niaz1]

yeah kati :)
i hope i can remember where to use them too :)
enjoy your weekend

[Zhang Felix]

I started my college in the New York, I lived in the USA for six years, I can speak very good English,but my English writing is bad, I hope to learn more English grammar and English writing in here.So far I've learned a lot of knowledge in here.This site is very useful to me.Everyone here are very friendly,thank you!

[Beeesneees]

Welcome to the forums, Zhang. Your English seems to be very good.
One thing you ought to do to improve the quality of your writing is to leave a space after a full stop, comma, question mark, etc. before writing/typing the next word, as I have done in this message.
It really makes a difference to the 'readability' of your work.
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Cheers m' dears!

[Zhang Felix]

[Alan]

Hi Zhang Felix,

Yes, you do that. But the one thing that struck me when I read your post was this:

[Zhang Felix]