I decided early

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "I decided early" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to a choice or conclusion made at an earlier point in time. Example: "I decided early that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

30 human-written examples

I decided early that nothing comes of them.

The New Yorker

I decided early that I would be a writer when I grew up.

The New Yorker

I decided early on it was not going to be my looks.

The Guardian

But I decided early on that I was going to have the time of my life.

The Guardian

I decided early on that she wasn't "black enough" and refused to read her.

The New Yorker

So I decided early on that I needed to bring these two things together in my career.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

28 human-written examples

"The thing I just decided early on was that I needed to stick to my vision," he said.

The New York Times

You might write something that they'll find in the text of the diary, perhaps in a passage about themselves, such as "And Jake thought that when he found this diary he was such a smarty pants but little did he know that I had decided early on he needed to read these home truths about himself and I orchestrated his desire to find you dear diary".

WikiHow

I had decided early on to use each device for a couple of days straight to get a feel for how they'd work, and then carry both in my pockets to see which one I naturally reached for.

TechCrunch

Having worked with phone carriers for years, I had decided early on that we simply weren't going to wait for the carriers to get their act together on location.

TechCrunch

I had decided early on that to remain true to some extent to the story, to maintain some connection to the story or have some underlying veracity to the project, I needed to make the work in the same place, at the same time of year like Charlie and Caril Ann did.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "I decided early" to emphasize that a decision was made at an initial stage, influencing subsequent actions or plans. This adds context and highlights the foresight or promptness of the decision-maker.

Common error

Avoid using "I decided early" without clearly specifying what the decision was about. Ensure the context provides sufficient information for the reader to understand the scope and implications of the early decision.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "I decided early" primarily functions as a declarative statement, asserting a decision made at an early stage. This is supported by Ludwig's examples, where it's used to convey choices about career paths, personal values, and project approaches.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "I decided early" is a grammatically sound phrase used to convey that a decision was made at an initial stage, as supported by Ludwig. While "I decided early" is not extremely common, it finds usage across various domains, primarily news and media, but also formal business and science contexts. The phrase serves to emphasize the timing and proactivity of a decision, indicating a deliberate choice made early on. When using "I decided early", clarity is key to ensure the scope and implications of the decision are well-understood. Alternative phrases include "I made an early decision" and "I chose early on", providing variations in expression without significantly altering the core meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

I made an early decision

Uses "made a decision" instead of "decided", emphasizing the act of making a choice.

I chose early on

Emphasizes the time aspect of the decision with "early on".

Early on, I resolved

Uses "resolved" to indicate a firm decision made early.

From an early stage, I determined

Replaces "decided" with "determined", suggesting a more resolute decision.

I concluded at an early stage

Uses "concluded" to indicate a decision reached after some consideration.

I settled on this early

Suggests a quick or easy choice made early.

It was my early intention

Focuses on the intention or plan formed early.

I had an early inclination to

Highlights an initial tendency or preference.

I formed this opinion early

Emphasizes opinion formation early in the process.

My initial decision was

Highlights the starting point of the decision-making process.

FAQs

How can I use "I decided early" in a sentence?

Use "I decided early" to indicate that you made a decision at a preliminary stage. For example, "I decided early that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine" shows that this career choice was made long ago.

What can I say instead of "I decided early"?

Alternatives include "I made an early decision", "I chose early on", or "early on, I resolved", which offer slightly different nuances but maintain the core meaning.

Is it better to say "I decided early" or "I decided earlier"?

"I decided earlier" implies the decision was made at some point in the past relative to another event, while "I decided early" suggests a decision made at the beginning of a process or period. The best choice depends on the specific context.

What's the difference between "I decided early" and "I decided from the beginning"?

"I decided early" focuses on the initial phase of a process, while "I decided from the beginning" emphasizes that the decision was present right from the start and remained consistent throughout. The slight change in nuance depends on which aspect you wish to emphasize.