Why I can't use IN?

[Tonga]

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #206 "Prepositions of Time and Date (4)", question 3

......... one week ago, she was told she couldn't have any more time off.

(a) For
(b) (none)
(c) In

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #206 "Prepositions of Time and Date (4)", answer 3

One week ago, she was told she couldn't have any more time off.

Correct answer: (b) (none)

Your answer was: incorrect
In one week ago, she was told she couldn't have any more time off.
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Why I can't use In ?

Tonga

[Fan of Arabian horses]

Hi English Learner!

As your question probably is forgotten by the administrators, please let me try to give you answer:

One week ago is not a special point of time but a span of time. So you can?t use a preposition.

Anything else it would be, if we assume that the week in which the expression was made, were the second calendar week (cw). So the expression could be:
In the first cw, she was told she couldn?t have any more time off. Mentioning the first cw a special point of time is used and here the preposition in were due. It were also one week ago.

And God help me if I failed now. All the English proficient would beat and kick me!

Michael

[Yankee]

Hi Michael

Thanks for pointing out that this question had been overlooked.

To make the answer short and sweet, you can say:
in one week
-- OR ---
one week ago

"Ago" always refers to a past point in time and is simply not used with a preposition.

Also, "in one week" could be used to talk about the future:
"I'll see you in one week."

Michael, the way "calendar week" is used in German/Germany is basically unknown in the U.S. (I'm not sure about the UK) And therefore, writing "CW" is even more mysterious.

If you said "I'm planning to go on vacation in calendar week 32.", an American wouldn't have any idea what you're talking about. (OK, maybe some clever Americans might think "Huh? Oh! There are 52 weeks in a year, so Michael must be talking about a vacation sometime after June." )


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