"in last year" vs. "last year"

[Christina328]

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #203 "Prepositions of Time and Date (1)", question 5

......... last year, the weather was really bad. This year, the forecast is better.

(a) In
(b) (none)
(c) About

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #203 "Prepositions of Time and Date (1)", answer 5

Last year, the weather was really bad. This year, the forecast is better.

Correct answer: (b) (none)

Your answer was: incorrect
In last year, the weather was really bad. This year, the forecast is better.
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Dear Sir

why not "in last year" here?

thanks a lot in advance

Christina's son

[Pamela]

Such adverbs of time as"last night","last year","last month"and etc.are used without any preposition.

[Linda]

Hi Christina's son,
I agree with Pamela that words such as "next, this or last" - when used with "time" - indicate that no preposition is necessary.
So, when you see something like "this month, last year, next week," you don't need a preposition before it.
However, Pamela, I don't think that words such as 'this, last and next' are adverbs of time but rather adjectives because "year' is a noun and not a verb.
I hope that helps.
Linda
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[Pamela]

[Yankee]

Hi Pamela,

I'd agree with you that "time phrases" such as 'last year', 'next month', etc. would be considered adverbial.

Amy
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Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Pamela]

Thanks a lot,Amy !