early vs. soon
Formula for success: rise early, work hard, strike oil.
Ricetta del successo: alzarsi presto, lavorare sodo, trovare il petrolio.
- J. Paul Getty
Ricetta del successo: alzarsi presto, lavorare sodo, trovare il petrolio.
- J. Paul Getty
✓ I have to get up early tomorrow morning.
✗ I have to get up *soon* tomorrow morning.
Devo alzarmi presto domani.
✓ See you soon!
✗ See you *early*!
Ci vediamo presto!
Early means before the usual time or before the time that something was arranged or expected:
✓ He retired early, when he was fifty.
✗ He retired *soon*, when he was fifty.
E’ andato in pensione presto, a cinquant’anni.
✓ We usually finish early on Fridays.
✗ We usually finish *soon* on Fridays.
✗ We usually finish *before* on Fridays.
Di solito finiamo prima il venerdì.
Early also means at or near the beginning of a period:
✓ I hope to finish it early next week - Tuesday at the latest.
✗ I hope to finish it *soon* next week - Tuesday at the latest.
Spero di finirlo verso l’inizio della settimana prossima – martedì al più tardi.
Soon means in a short time from now or a short time after something:
✓ They’ll be here soon. (= in a short time from now)
Saranno qua a breve.
✓ Get well soon!
Guarisci presto!
✓ We realised something was wrong soon after takeoff. (= a short time after takeoff)
Ci siamo accorti che qualcosa non andava poco dopo il decollo.
Finally, compare the following two examples:
✓ Make sure you book early to get the best deal! (= before you or most other people usually do)
Assicurati di prenotare presto per ottenere l’offerta migliore!
Now try the quiz below! There are TEN answers. The passmark is 80% (8 out of 10). Click on the blue arrows to go to the next or previous question. You can check your answers immediately or when you've finished the quiz.
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