5.70 relative time

If you want to refer to a period of time in relation to another period of time, or in relation to an event, you use an adjunct. For example, you can use an adverb such as 'soon' or 'later' to refer to time which follows a particular event or period of time, and you can use an adverb such as 'beforehand' or 'earlier' to refer to time which preceded a particular period of time or an event.

• Sita was delighted with the house and soon began to look upon it as home.
• It'll have to be replaced soon.
• He later settled in Peddie, a small town near Grahamstown.
• I'll explain later.
• I was very nervous beforehand.
• You'll be having a bath and going to the hairdresser's beforehand.
• She had seen him only five hours earlier.

This type of time reference is common with past and future tenses. It is sometimes used with present tenses when they are used to refer to past, future, or habitual actions.

• We don't clean out beforehand because it only gets dirty again.
• I remember the next day at school going round asking the boys if they'd ever seen a ghost.
• But afterwards, as you read on, you relate back to it .

Here is a list of adjuncts which are used to refer to time in a relative way:

• afterwards, at once, before long, eventually, finally, immediately, in a moment, instantly, later, later on, presently, shortly, soon, suddenly, within minutes, within the hour, --- , the next day, the next week, the next month, the next year, the following day, the following week, the following month, the following year, the day after, the week after, the month after, the year after, --- , beforehand, early, earlier, earlier on, in advance, one day, one morning, on time, punctually

Note that in this list 'presently' means 'soon'.

You can use 'early' to indicate that something happens before the expected or planned time, and 'late' to indicate that it happens after that time. 'On time', and 'punctually' are used to say indicate that something happens at the planned time.

These adverbs come after the verb and at the end of the clause.

• Tired out, he had gone to bed early.
• I arrived at Paddington early and had a first-class compartment to myself.
• He had come to the political arena late, at the age of 62.
• We went quite late in the afternoon.
• If Atkinson phoned on time, he'd be out of the house in well under an hour.
• He arrived punctually.

With 'early' and 'late' you can also use the comparative forms 'earlier' and 'later'.

• I woke earlier than usual.
• Later, the dealer saw that it had been sold.

Note that 'early', 'late', and 'on time' are also used as complements.

• The door bell rang. Barbara was appalled. 'They're early.'
• The Paris train was slightly late.
• What time is it now? This bus is usually on time.

For more information on complements, see paragraph 3.128.

5.71

You can also specify a time by relating it to an event, using a qualifying expression or a relative clause after the time expression.

• I didn't sleep well the night before the prosecution.
• I called him the day I got back.

5.72

You can also use some prepositions to relate events to each other, or to particular periods of time. These prepositions are listed in paragraph 5.99, and there is a full explanation in paragraphs 5.102 to 5.107.

• Over the Bank Holiday, Mr Palumbo spent time relaxing at his estate.
• A British paratrooper returns to a gloomy tower block in the East End after active service in the Falklands.