before I realised

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "before I realised" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate a moment in time prior to becoming aware of something or understanding a situation. Example: "I was already halfway through the project before I realised I had missed an important deadline."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Lifestyle

Opinion

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Before I realised what it was.

The Guardian

I'd overpaid him before I realised he was an actor.

The Guardian

The whole experience was surreal and over before I realised.

The Guardian - Sport

Richards said: "It took me two year before I realised who he was.

Independent

She said she was "up and began running before I realised I was hurt".

Independent

It wasn't long before I realised I had two kinds of writing days.

The Guardian - Books

Seed had published six of my columns before I realised things weren't as they should be.

The Guardian

I mistakenly created one called "Family" before I realised there was already one called "Family".

The Guardian - Tech

Initially I was skeptical, before I realised that if nothing else, it would provide something for my column.

Independent

It took one too many times of swiping to the right before I realised I was liking men unintentionally.

Independent

I was about 12 before I realised who my mother was.

The Guardian - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "before I realised" to clearly indicate a change in understanding or awareness that occurred after a specific event or period. This helps create a chronological sequence in your writing.

Common error

Ensure the tense in both clauses of the sentence is appropriate and consistent. For example, avoid mixing past and present tenses without a clear reason. "I am doing this task before I realised it was due tomorrow" should be "I was doing this task before I realised it was due tomorrow".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "before I realised" functions as a temporal conjunction, introducing a clause that indicates the time preceding a moment of realization or understanding. As shown in Ludwig, this is a very common construction used to establish a sequence of events where awareness changes the course.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Lifestyle

25%

Opinion

15%

Less common in

Books

10%

Travel

5%

Science

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "before I realised" is a grammatically sound and commonly used temporal conjunction that serves to establish a sequence where a realization alters a situation or understanding. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and widespread use. It's versatile enough for both formal and informal contexts, though more formal alternatives exist. To ensure clarity, pay attention to maintaining tense consistency. Its prevalence across diverse sources like The Guardian, BBC, and Independent underscores its broad applicability in written and spoken English.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

before I understood

Focuses on comprehension rather than a general realization.

before I became aware

More formal and emphasizes the state of awareness.

before I knew it

Emphasizes the speed or suddenness of the realization.

earlier than I realized

Highlights the timing of the event relative to the realization.

before it dawned on me

Suggests a gradual realization.

sooner than I thought

Focuses on the unexpected timing of the realization.

before it registered

Suggests a delay in processing information.

prior to my realization

A more formal and less common phrasing.

before the truth hit me

More emphatic and implies a forceful realization.

before the penny dropped

An idiomatic expression for sudden understanding.

FAQs

How can I use "before I realised" in a sentence?

Use "before I realised" to indicate a point in time prior to gaining awareness or understanding of something. For example, "I started the project before I realised how complex it was".

What can I say instead of "before I realised"?

You can use alternatives like "before I knew it", "before I understood", or "before I became aware" depending on the context.

Is "before I realised" formal or informal?

"Before I realised" is generally considered neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. However, more formal alternatives exist, such as "prior to my realization".

What's the difference between "before I realised" and "after I realised"?

"Before I realised" indicates that an action occurred before gaining understanding, while "after I realised" indicates it happened after gaining understanding. They are opposites in terms of chronology.