在英文故事讀本書或是日常對話中,常出現at the end和 in the end兩個片語,事實上這兩個片語在使用上及語意是有所差別的,我們先來談談 at the end的用法:

--at the end:  表在具體"東西或方位點"(physical location)的末端或時間點的尾聲(the end point of a period of time):

表physical location:

(1)at the end of the street(路的盡頭)

(2)at the end of the bridge(橋的盡頭)

(3)at the end of the rainbow(彩虹的盡頭)

表metaphorical end比喻性的結尾:

(1)at the end of the story(故事的結尾)

(2)at the end of the lyrics(歌詞的結尾)

(3)at the end of the lesson(課堂的尾聲)

表一段時間的尾聲(the end point of a period of time):

(1)at the end of the year(年末)

(2)at the end of the week(週末)

(3)at the end of the month(月末)

例句:

a. The teacher set some homework at the end of the lesson.
b. I’m going on holiday at the end of the week.
c. What can we see at the end of the rainbow?

再來說說in the end 的用法, "in the end"是個副詞片語,(an adverb phrase),有finally(最後;最終)之意,

例句:

a. He complained about the meal so, in the end, he didn’t have to pay for it.
b. They waited for an hour and, in the end, they went without her.
c. I missed my bus in the morning, so I took the train for instead in the end.