today
today — adverb
1. on or during the present day — the day that is happening now, between yesterday
on or during the present day — the day that is happening now, between yesterday and tomorrow.
Sade has a job interview at two o'clock and needs to prepare today.
position at end of clause
Today the bus arrived twenty minutes late, so Karim walked the rest of the way.
position at beginning of clause for emphasis
I haven't seen Inês today — is she feeling unwell?
Min checked the mail twice today but the package still hasn't arrived.
文法句型
today at end of clause
today at beginning of clause for emphasis
用法筆記
Unlike 'yesterday' and 'tomorrow,' 'today' does not take the preposition 'on.' 'On today' is always incorrect in standard English.
常見錯誤
2. in the current era, especially when comparing the way things are now with how th
in the current era, especially when comparing the way things are now with how they were in earlier times.
People today rely on their phones for banking, shopping, and keeping in touch.
noun + today as post-modifier
Sivan argues that food today contains far more sugar than it did twenty years ago.
Classrooms today nearly all have internet access, which was rare in the 1990s.
Anong notices that young couples today share childcare duties much more evenly.
- nowadays
more informal; strongly suggests a contrast with the past
- currently
slightly more formal; emphasises an ongoing but possibly temporary situation
- these days
informal and conversational; often implies a change from how things used to be
- in the past
refers to an earlier period
- formerly
formal; contrasts a past state with the present
文法句型
noun + today as post-modifier
today at beginning of sentence
用法筆記
To avoid ambiguity between the 'on this day' sense and the 'modern times' sense, pay attention to the context. When paired with a past reference ('than twenty years ago'), the 'modern times' sense is intended.
常見錯誤
today — adjective
- todaypositive
- todayercomparative
- todayestsuperlative
1. relating to or characteristic of the present period; modern and current — used t
relating to or characteristic of the present period; modern and current — used to describe groups, conditions, or phenomena of the current era.
The museum's new show features today's leading architects from five continents.
attributive: today's + noun
Mauricio's lecture examines the main challenges facing today's global economy.
Karim prefers today's pop music to the rock songs his father played as a teenager.
The documentary explores how today's teenagers view friendship and social media.
- modern
broader in scope; does not require the possessive structure
- contemporary
slightly more formal; refers to the same time period
- current
emphasises the present moment rather than an era
文法句型
today's + noun
用法筆記
This adjectival use is always attributive and takes the possessive form 'today's + noun.' It cannot be used as a predicate adjective ('the economy is today' is incorrect).
常見錯誤
today — noun
1. the present day, period, or age — the time we are living in now, seen as a whole
the present day, period, or age — the time we are living in now, seen as a whole.
The young people of today care deeply about climate change and social justice.
noun + of + today as post-modifier
Ishaan compared the music of today with the classical music of the eighteenth century.
In today's competitive job market, a university degree is no longer a guarantee of success.
The problems of today are not so different from those our grandparents faced.
- the present
more formal; refers to the current period as an abstract concept
- the current era
more formal and emphatic about historical context
- the past
the period before the present
- the distant past
a much earlier period
文法句型
the + noun + of today
today's + noun as possessive
用法筆記
As a noun, 'today' can be used in two patterns: (1) post-modifier with 'of' ('the artists of today'), and (2) possessive determiner ('today's artists'). Both are common and interchangeable in most contexts.