early last year

USAGE SUMMARY

"early last year" is a perfectly correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when you would like to refer to a specific time early in a particular year. For example, "I visited my family early last year."

✓ Grammatically correct

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Based on a true story, its stars McConaughey as an AIDS sufferer who smuggles drugs for other patients to treat the HIV virus in the early days of the disease in the 1980s.

The Guardian - Film

Trials of this idea are currently under way, one of which should report next year.

The Economist

Last year, during David Cameron's trip to Beijing, the same paper announced that Britain was "just an old European country apt [that is, suitable] for travel and study".

The Guardian - Opinion

Referred to in court as D, she entered a not guilty plea to a charge of intimidation last week while wearing a niqab after the judge backed down from a previous decision that she would have to show her face to be properly identified.

The Guardian

"They gave me their word a year ago and now I want them to honour that.

The Guardian - Sport

According to the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT), the cost of a Milton Keynes season ticket has risen 23.5%, or £930, since January 2010 and is one of a number of fares that have increased around four times more than average wages over this five-year period.

The Guardian

As a result, the country lost a further 21 positions in the policy evaluation compared to last year, thus replacing Canada as the worst-performing industrial country".

The Guardian

But this year is different.

The New York Times

It said that if automatic spending cuts go into force and all the Bush-era tax cuts expire, the nation would slip into recession next year and unemployment would rise to 9.1 percent, from October's rate of 7.9 percent.

The New York Times

"Scoring is not up, but injuries are up," Tallon said of the current rule last week.

The New York Times

The order book was down slightly at £3.6bn from the last update in June but well ahead of the £3.3bn reported this time last year.

The Guardian - Business

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Be specific by combining “early last year” with a month to add precision to your timeframe. For instance, say "early January last year" to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "early last year" in contexts where the reader might confuse it with the current year. Instead, provide more specific dates or context to prevent misinterpretation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "early last year" functions as an adverbial phrase of time, specifying when an event occurred. Based on Ludwig AI, the phrase is correct and usable in written English. It modifies a verb or clause by providing temporal context, similar to other time-related adverbials.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "early last year" is a grammatically correct and usable adverbial phrase that indicates the beginning of the previous year. Ludwig AI confirms its validity. While it is a straightforward expression, it's important to ensure clarity by providing enough context so that the reader knows which year is being referenced. When writing, consider alternative phrases like "start of last year" or "beginning of last year" for variety. Given the limited number of examples, the frequency and specific contexts of its use are currently unknown.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

start of last year

Replaces "early" with a synonym indicating the initial part of the year.

beginning of last year

Similar to "start of last year", emphasizing the commencement of the year.

first part of last year

More explicitly specifies the initial portion of the year.

in the early months of last year

Expands on "early" to indicate a period covering the initial months.

q1 last year

Uses a business-specific term to refer to the first quarter of the year.

January last year

Refers to a specific month within the early part of the year.

February last year

Refers to a specific month within the early part of the year.

spring of last year

Uses the season to describe the time frame.

the first few months of last year

Specifies a duration within the earlier part of the year.

in the first quarter of last year

Replaces "early" with a specific timeframe reference.

FAQs

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

Use "early last year" to refer to the beginning of the previous year. For example, "The project began "early last year" and is now nearing completion."

What phrases are similar to "early last year"?

Similar phrases include "start of last year", "beginning of last year", or "first part of last year", depending on the desired level of formality and specificity.

Is it correct to say "earlier last year" instead of "early last year"?

While "earlier last year" isn't grammatically incorrect, ""early last year"" is more common and idiomatic when referring to the beginning of the previous year.

What is the difference between "early this year" and "early last year"?

"Early this year" refers to the beginning of the current year, while ""early last year"" refers to the beginning of the immediately preceding year. The key difference is the year being referenced.