(1) SARS has killed about fifty people since
the outbreak began EARLIER this year.
(2) SARS has killed about fifty people since
the outbreak began EARLY this year.
I met the (1) sentence today morning.
I think (2) is in the right.
What do you think?
Or
Which is acceptable in your think?
EARLIER OR EARLY
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jly_eslcafe
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 3:47 am
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Joon,
I think both sound acceptable. Whether they are grammatcially correct or not - I am not sure. But the two sentences do have slightly different meaning.
The first statement using EARLIER, emphasises that it happened before today.
The second statement using EARLY, emphasises that it happened early in the calendar year, ie Jan or Feb.
Or is this a matter of interpretation? What do you guys think?
~ Jennifer
I think both sound acceptable. Whether they are grammatcially correct or not - I am not sure. But the two sentences do have slightly different meaning.
The first statement using EARLIER, emphasises that it happened before today.
The second statement using EARLY, emphasises that it happened early in the calendar year, ie Jan or Feb.
Or is this a matter of interpretation? What do you guys think?
~ Jennifer
To Jennifer
I can't catch the slightly different meaning without any help. 
Thank you.
Thank you.
I hazard the following attempt at helping you:
"Earlier" being a comparative, would probably be a useful adjective if the year was not very old already. Let's say it has only lasted four to six months - then "earlier" would make sense beside "early".
If the year was almost over, "early" would probably refer to the beginning of the year, and 'earlier" could be any time thereafter but before the end of the year.
"Earlier" being a comparative, would probably be a useful adjective if the year was not very old already. Let's say it has only lasted four to six months - then "earlier" would make sense beside "early".
If the year was almost over, "early" would probably refer to the beginning of the year, and 'earlier" could be any time thereafter but before the end of the year.