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 after linking verbs.
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 linking verbs, see paragraphs 3.126 to 3.181.
4.72 You can also specify a time by relating it to an event, using a qualifying expression or a relative clause after the time adverbial.
I didn’t sleep well the night before the prosecution.
I called him the day I got back.
4.73 You can also use some prepositions to relate events to each other, or to particular periods of time. These prepositions are listed in paragraph 4.100, and there is a full explanation in paragraphs 4.103 to 4.108.
After the war, he returned to teaching.
Joseph had been married prior to his marriage to Mary.
Wages have fallen during the last two months.
necessary time
4.74 If you want to refer to a necessary time, beyond which an event will no longer be relevant, useful, or successful, you can use in time.
I had to walk fast to reach the restaurant in time.
He leapt back, in time to dodge the train.
If something happens before the necessary time, you can use too early, and if it happens after the necessary time, you can use too late.
Today they grow up too early.
It’s much too early to assess the community service scheme.
They arrived too late for the information to be any good.
It’s too late to change that now.
previously mentioned time
4.75 If the time you are referring to in the past or future has already been mentioned, you can use the adverb then.
We kept three monkeys then.
We were all so patriotic then.
It’ll be too late then.
To be more specific, you can use that with the name of a day, month, season, and so on, or with a general time word.
William didn’t come in that Tuesday.
So many people will be pursuing other activities that night.
Emphasizing the unexpected: continuing, stopping, or not happening
4.76 If you want to comment on the existence of the relationship between past, present, and future situations, you can use one of the following adverbials:
already
any longer
any more
as yet
no longer
so far
still
up till now
up to now
yet
still for existing situations
4.77 If you want to say that a situation exists up to the present time, you use still. If you use be as a main verb or an auxiliary verb, you put still after be or the auxiliary. If you use any simple verb except be you put still in front of the verb. Still often suggests that the continuation of the situation is surprising or undesirable.
It’s a marvel that I’m still alive to tell the tale.
Male prejudice still exists in certain quarters.
Years had passed and they were still paying off their debts.
In negative statements that use the n’t contraction, still is placed in front of be or the auxiliary.
We’ve been working on it for over two years now. And it still isn’t finished.
We still don’t know where we’re going.
still for expected situations
4.78 You can also use still in front of a to-infinitive to say that something has not happened yet, although it is expected to, or you feel that it should.
The Government had still to agree on the provisions of the bill.
The problems were still to come.
There are many other questions still to be answered.
Still is not used in negative statements in this way; see paragraph 4.79 for a similar use of yet.
yet for expected situations
4.79 If you want to indicate that something has not happened up to the present time, but is likely to happen in the future, you use yet with a negative. Yet usually comes at the end of the clause.
We don’t know the terms yet.
I haven’t set any work yet. I suppose I shall some day.
They haven’t heard yet.
If you want to sound more emphatic, you can put yet before a simple verb or after the auxiliary and negative word.
No one yet knows exactly what it means.
Her style had not yet matured.
Yet can also be used in questions, where it is usually put at the end of the clause.
Has she had the baby yet?
Has Mr. Harris arrived yet?
4.80 You can also use yet in affirmative statements to say that something that is expected has not happened up to the present time. In this case, yet is followed by a to-infinitive clause.
The true history of art in post-war America is yet to be written.
He had yet to attempt to put principles into practice.
4.81 Yet is also used in affirmative statements with superlatives to show that the statement applies up to the present, but may not apply in the future. Yet normally comes at the end of the clause.