用法一:表示即将做某事。如:He’s about to go. 他就要走了。The package is about to come unwrapped. 那个包快散开了。Mrs. Brown was about to begin, but Jennie spoke first. 布朗夫人正要开始讲话,珍妮先讲了。He little dreams that the police are about to arrest him. 他一点也没想到警察就要来抓他。I had an intuition that something awful was about to happen. 我有一种直觉,一件可怕的事将要发生。
  
用法二:其否定式在美国英语中可表示“不打算(不愿意)”。如:I’m not about to stop when I’m so close to success. 在这样接近成功时我不打算就此罢手。
  
用法三:习惯上不与具体时间状语连用。由于本身已含有“即将”这样的时间概念,所以它习惯上不再与 soon, at once, immediately, tomorrow 这样的具体时间状语连soon, at once, immediately, tomorrow 我们即将动身。误:We are about to start at once.正:We are about to start.正:We’ll start at once.