early last may

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "early last May" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to a specific time frame in the month of May of the previous year, indicating the beginning part of that month. Example: "Early last May, we launched our new marketing campaign."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

With my colleague Dwayne, a landscaper and avocational botanist, I flew in a couple of days early last May to seek out remnants of a low-tech, untrendy, offbeat Florida.

The New York Times - Travel

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Still, here's the Fed's preferred measure of inflation, the personal consumption expenditures deflator, measured on a 6- month basis (short enough to catch relatively short-term trends, long enough to smooth out the noise): You may recall that early last year there was a huge fuss over a temporary rise in inflation, which was widely portrayed as the harbinger of terrible things to come.

The New York Times

Early last year residents of Tiny Union, Miss.

Forbes

But Naegele's early success may not last.

Forbes

Severe immunodepression involving the cell-mediated immune response may occur early and may even last for several weeks [ 1].

Critical Care

Alternatively, earlier age at last reproduction may have resulted from the scarcity of resources among the Poor women, restricting their reproduction into older ages.

Plosone

wall street journal   Ross Predicts a Years-Long Slump in Coal  |  Bloomberg News reports: "Wilbur Ross, who built a company from distressed U.S. coal assets and sold it last year for $3.4 billion, says the industry's current slump differs from earlier setbacks and may last for years because of the shale-gas boom".

The New York Times

Another is that if you lock in a package too early, you may miss out on cheaper last-minute deals.

The New York Times - Travel

Online travel sites book their arrangements early, so you may find last minute trips that you can get airfare, hotels and other arrangements for the same price as airfare.

WikiHow

Williams struggled in France two weeks earlier and, while reaching the last 64 may not sound like much, it keeps her Olympic hopes alive.

BBC

Early preparation may be more important than ever, though financial planners say most parents still wait until the last minute.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When specifying a time frame, "early last May" is useful for clarity, especially when distinguishing it from later parts of the month. For instance, 'We finalized the budget early last May, before the market volatility hit.'

Common error

Avoid ambiguity by clearly specifying that you are referring to the previous year's May and not the current year. Always add 'last year' or 'of the previous year' for clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "early last may" functions as an adverbial phrase of time, specifying when an event occurred. As Ludwig AI indicates, the phrase is a correct and usable part of the english language.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

35%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

6%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "early last may" is a grammatically correct phrase used to specify a time frame at the beginning of May in the previous year. Ludwig AI confirms its usability. While not exceptionally common, it appears across various contexts including News & Media, Science and Wiki articles, which gives to the sentence a neutral tone. When using the phrase, ensure clarity by emphasizing the previous year and differentiating it from the current May. Alternatives include "early May of last year" or "the beginning of May last year". The phrase serves to provide temporal context, allowing for precise communication about past events.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

early may of last year

Reorders the phrase for slightly different emphasis, focusing first on 'early may' before specifying 'last year'.

start of may last year

Replaces "early" with "start", maintaining the meaning of the beginning of the month.

beginning of last may

Uses 'beginning' instead of 'early', focusing on the initial part of the month.

first week of last may

More specific, pinpointing the first week of the month.

around the start of last may

Adds a degree of approximation, suggesting a time near the beginning of May.

in early may of the previous year

Replaces "last year" with "the previous year", making the timeline clearer and slightly more formal.

at the beginning of may last year

Similar to 'start of may', but more descriptive.

the first part of may last year

Highlights that it's only the initial section of May that's relevant.

the opening days of last may

More poetic, referring to the beginning of the month.

late april last year

Shifts the time slightly earlier to the very end of April, still implying temporal proximity.

FAQs

How can I use "early last may" in a sentence?

Use "early last may" to specify a period at the beginning of May in the previous year. For example, "The project began "early last May", and we aimed to complete it within six months."

What are some alternatives to saying "early last may"?

You can use alternatives such as "the beginning of May last year", "the start of May last year", or "early May of last year" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it correct to say "in early last may"?

While "early last May" is acceptable, it's more common and grammatically sound to say "in early May last year". The preposition 'in' is often used with months and years to indicate a time frame.

How does "early last may" differ from "late last may"?

"Early last May" refers to the beginning part of the month, whereas "late last May" indicates the end of May in the previous year. The phrases specify different periods within the same month.