The government ____ to approve the use of wide-spread surveillance when the Justice Department took objections. A. is going B. had been C. was about D. is coming(TOEFL) 请解释 be about to 的意义和用法。
半助动词 be about to (+ 动词原形), 如同 will/shall, be going to, be to 一样, 也能表达将来时间。但是 be about to 与它们有一个重要的区别, 就是它表达的是最近的将来, 意思相当于 be on the point of + 动名词或 be going to + just (“正要” “马上就要”)。I’m about to read your essay. ≈ I’m just going to read your paper. (CGEL)。如同 was/were to 和 was/were going to 表示过去的将来时间一样, was/were about to 也可以表示过去的将来时间。
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Mrs. Gerhardt was about to begin, but Jennie spoke first. (Dreiser) 杰哈特夫人正要开始讲话，珍妮却抢先发言了。
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He met her in the doorway just as she was about to go away. (Galsworthy) 正当她要离开时,他在门口遇见了她。
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Just as Collet was about to divide his men to search the basement and grounds behind the house, he heard voices on the level above them. (Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code) 科莱正打算派手下到地下室以及屋后面的空地里去搜查，这时，他听到楼上有声音。（《达·芬奇密码》）
关于 be about to... when 见 when 。