that soon

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "that soon" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something will happen in a short amount of time or shortly after a certain point. Example: "I didn't expect to see her again that soon after our last meeting."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

53 human-written examples

Might that soon change?

The Economist

That soon changed.

The New York Times - Arts

That soon ended.

The New York Times

Expect that soon.

The New York Times - Sports

But more on that soon.

Independent

But that soon may change.

The New York Times - Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

5 human-written examples

— that would soon fade away.

The New York Times

We will be posting that data soon.

The New York Times

But in San Francisco, that may soon change.

The New York Times

But get ready, that will soon change.

Forbes

However, he said, that might soon change.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "that soon" to express a sense of surprise or expectation regarding the timing of an event. It's effective when you want to emphasize the proximity of an event to a previous one or to the present moment.

Common error

While "that soon" is widely understood, it can sound informal in highly professional or academic contexts. In those cases, consider using alternatives like "shortly thereafter" or "in the near future" to maintain a more sophisticated tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "that soon" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause to indicate the timing or proximity of an event. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically correct. Examples in Ludwig show its use in various contexts to express the nearness of a future event or the short interval after a previous one.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Science

15%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

6%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "that soon" functions as an adverbial phrase denoting a short period. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness, and its widespread use across diverse sources – particularly in news and media – confirms its versatility. While perfectly acceptable for most contexts, slightly more formal alternatives may be preferable in academic or highly professional writing. Its effectiveness lies in its ability to convey the proximity of an event, whether expressing surprise, anticipation, or simply providing a temporal reference. Therefore, you should use it freely in conversations but carefully in more formal papers.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

so quickly

Emphasizes the speed at which something occurs, similar to "that soon" but focuses more on the rapid pace.

so rapidly

Similar to "so quickly", but suggests a more significant or noticeable rate of change in a short amount of time.

in such short time

Highlights the brevity of the time frame, expressing surprise or disbelief that something happened so fast.

this quickly

Focuses on the unexpected speed of an event, often used to express surprise.

before long

Indicates that something will happen in the near future, closely related to "that soon" in terms of timeframe.

in a little while

Suggests a brief duration before something happens, similar to "that soon" but less immediate.

presently

Indicates that something will occur shortly, suitable for more formal contexts.

momentarily

Implies an almost immediate occurrence, emphasizing the very short duration.

shortly thereafter

Used to indicate that something happened a brief time after a previous event, more formal than "that soon".

in the near future

Indicates that something will happen relatively soon, but with less precision than "that soon".

FAQs

How can I use "that soon" in a sentence?

You can use "that soon" to indicate that something will happen in a short amount of time or shortly after a certain point. For example, "I didn't expect to see her again "that soon" after our last meeting".

What alternatives can I use instead of "that soon"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "so quickly", "before long", or "in the near future".

Is it correct to use "that soon" in formal writing?

While grammatically correct, "that soon" might sound informal in highly professional or academic contexts. Consider more formal alternatives like "shortly thereafter" or "in a short period".

What's the difference between "that soon" and "so soon"?

"That soon" and "so soon" are often interchangeable, but "that soon" can sometimes imply a stronger connection to a preceding event or expectation. "So soon" may simply express surprise at the quickness of an event.