Use of "back then"

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hello everybody

Could you please tell me the “complete” use of BACK THEN at the start of a sentence? I consulted some dictionaries but did not feel “saturated” :shock:

Tom

2

Hi Tom,

Back then is essentially a conversational expression used at the beginning of a sentence when someone is recounting what things were like before or in the past as in:

Back then we used to walk to school because there were no buses and we couldn’t afford a car.

It has very much the flavour of: in those days/at that time/when I was young/in my day and so on.

Hope this helps towards your saturation process.

Alan

3

Hello,

I wonder, can I use “back then” as an adjective? For example, “back then co-workers” - the co-workers whom I used to work with long time ago?

4

That’s a highly unlikely scenario Ttu, though you might say:
My co-workers from back then.

5

Thank you very much for your reply!