be late for / to do / doing sth 用法归纳:be late for 表示“迟于规定时间做某事”、“赶不上做某事”。for 后面接名词(不能接动名词),有的名词前面用冠词,有的名词前面不能用冠词。在 be late for class / school / work / breakfast / lunch / supper / appointment中,习惯上不用冠词;但是,在be late for the meeting / be late for the bus / be late for the train 中,习惯上应该用冠词。例如:He was late for appointment . 他赴约迟到。/ He was too late for the train . 他太迟了,未赶上火车。(席玉虎主编:《英语常用词用法详解大词典》p.1826)
be late in doing 表示“做某事迟了”。如果动名词(doing)后面有宾语,可以把 in doing 改为 with 。在口语中,可以省略 in 。例如:The bus was late in coming . 公共汽车来晚了。/ We were late with lunch today . 我们今天吃午饭晚了。(席玉虎主编:《英语常用词用法详解大词典》p.1826)(= We were late in having lunch today . )
be late to do 通常用于形式主语it的后面。例如:It's too late to go now . 现在去太迟了。/ It's never too late to mend . 改错不嫌晚。/ It's never too late to learn . 活到老,学到老。(席玉虎主编:《英语常用词用法详解大词典》p.1826)
be late (in) doing 或be late with sth 意为“做某事做得晚了,或者做迟了”如:He was late in getting up this morning. 今天早上起床起得晚了。(比平时)
We were late with lunch. 我们今天午饭吃得迟了。(比平时)
be late for意为“做...迟到”(与规定的时间相比迟到)
I have never been late for work.我上班从没迟到过。