Earliest I've been to work
I am supposed to clock in at 8 am every day to work. I was late today, just like every day, but today I was only late by 5 minutes, less than every other time. Is saying "earliest I've been to work" correct? Even though I was late?
grammaticality descriptive-grammar sentence-correction
asked 12 hours ago
HarambeHarambe
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I am supposed to clock in at 8 am every day to work. I was late today, just like every day, but today I was only late by 5 minutes, less than every other time. Is saying "earliest I've been to work" correct? Even though I was late?
grammaticality descriptive-grammar sentence-correction
asked 12 hours ago
HarambeHarambe
61
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Harambe is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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In a slightly ironic twist, you could say "It's the earliest I've ever been late"
– Jim Mack
12 hours ago
"The earliest I've ever been to work" sounds to me like a statement about the earliest turn or shift you've ever done, (for instance "the time I worked as a milkman was the earliest I've ever been to work") not the earliest time you arrived at work. More appropriate to me is "Five past eight is the earliest I've ever got to work".
– BoldBen
7 hours ago
add a comment |
I am supposed to clock in at 8 am every day to work. I was late today, just like every day, but today I was only late by 5 minutes, less than every other time. Is saying "earliest I've been to work" correct? Even though I was late?
grammaticality descriptive-grammar sentence-correction
asked 12 hours ago
HarambeHarambe
61
New contributor
Harambe is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I am supposed to clock in at 8 am every day to work. I was late today, just like every day, but today I was only late by 5 minutes, less than every other time. Is saying "earliest I've been to work" correct? Even though I was late?
grammaticality descriptive-grammar sentence-correction
grammaticality descriptive-grammar sentence-correction
asked 12 hours ago
HarambeHarambe
61
New contributor
Harambe is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 12 hours ago
HarambeHarambe
61
New contributor
Harambe is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 12 hours ago
HarambeHarambe
61
New contributor
Harambe is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 12 hours ago
HarambeHarambe
61
asked 12 hours ago
HarambeHarambe
61
61
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Harambe is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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New contributor
Harambe is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
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Check out our Code of Conduct.
In a slightly ironic twist, you could say "It's the earliest I've ever been late"
– Jim Mack
12 hours ago
"The earliest I've ever been to work" sounds to me like a statement about the earliest turn or shift you've ever done, (for instance "the time I worked as a milkman was the earliest I've ever been to work") not the earliest time you arrived at work. More appropriate to me is "Five past eight is the earliest I've ever got to work".
– BoldBen
7 hours ago
add a comment |
In a slightly ironic twist, you could say "It's the earliest I've ever been late"
– Jim Mack
12 hours ago
"The earliest I've ever been to work" sounds to me like a statement about the earliest turn or shift you've ever done, (for instance "the time I worked as a milkman was the earliest I've ever been to work") not the earliest time you arrived at work. More appropriate to me is "Five past eight is the earliest I've ever got to work".
– BoldBen
7 hours ago
In a slightly ironic twist, you could say "It's the earliest I've ever been late"
– Jim Mack
12 hours ago
In a slightly ironic twist, you could say "It's the earliest I've ever been late"
– Jim Mack
12 hours ago
"The earliest I've ever been to work" sounds to me like a statement about the earliest turn or shift you've ever done, (for instance "the time I worked as a milkman was the earliest I've ever been to work") not the earliest time you arrived at work. More appropriate to me is "Five past eight is the earliest I've ever got to work".
– BoldBen
7 hours ago
"The earliest I've ever been to work" sounds to me like a statement about the earliest turn or shift you've ever done, (for instance "the time I worked as a milkman was the earliest I've ever been to work") not the earliest time you arrived at work. More appropriate to me is "Five past eight is the earliest I've ever got to work".
– BoldBen
7 hours ago
add a comment |
3 Answers
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Since you're saying, "[This is the] earliest I have been to work," I would say yes, this is correct. You're specifically referring to yourself and the past.
Whether you're on time or not is irrelevant to the actual statement since the subject of the sentence is you getting to work, not the time your work begins.
answered 10 hours ago
XekiXeki
23
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Xeki is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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There is a logical and a linguistic answer to your question.
If you wanted to make your statement completely precise, you might say something like this:-
The time at which I arrived today was the earliest of all the times at which I have ever arrived.
But that precision is bought at the expense of making it stilted and laboured.
Your statement is, strictly, a sentence fragment with no main verb. So you would not be well-advised to such a casually unrepentant justification to your enraged boss.
Nevertheless, it is clear. It is a sort of ellipsis, which takes for granted something like
[My arrival today was the] earliest [time at which] I’ve ever been to work.
This is not to say that the works in angle brackets passed through the speaker’s (or listener’s) mind unspoken!
answered 8 hours ago
TuffyTuffy
3,9551620
add a comment |
This is the earliest I've been to work.
That is strictly correct. Despite the fact that you were late, it is the earliest actual time you've arrived.
But if you want to make a specific point about still being late, you could instead say:
The is the least late I've been to work.
answered 7 hours ago
Jason BassfordJason Bassford
18.9k32245
add a comment |
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3 Answers
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active
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3 Answers
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oldest
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Since you're saying, "[This is the] earliest I have been to work," I would say yes, this is correct. You're specifically referring to yourself and the past.
Whether you're on time or not is irrelevant to the actual statement since the subject of the sentence is you getting to work, not the time your work begins.
answered 10 hours ago
XekiXeki
23
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Xeki is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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Since you're saying, "[This is the] earliest I have been to work," I would say yes, this is correct. You're specifically referring to yourself and the past.
Whether you're on time or not is irrelevant to the actual statement since the subject of the sentence is you getting to work, not the time your work begins.
answered 10 hours ago
XekiXeki
23
New contributor
Xeki is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
Since you're saying, "[This is the] earliest I have been to work," I would say yes, this is correct. You're specifically referring to yourself and the past.
Whether you're on time or not is irrelevant to the actual statement since the subject of the sentence is you getting to work, not the time your work begins.
answered 10 hours ago
XekiXeki
23
New contributor
Xeki is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Since you're saying, "[This is the] earliest I have been to work," I would say yes, this is correct. You're specifically referring to yourself and the past.
Whether you're on time or not is irrelevant to the actual statement since the subject of the sentence is you getting to work, not the time your work begins.
answered 10 hours ago
XekiXeki
23
New contributor
Xeki is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered 10 hours ago
XekiXeki
23
New contributor
Xeki is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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answered 10 hours ago
XekiXeki
23
answered 10 hours ago
XekiXeki
23
23
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New contributor
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add a comment |
add a comment |
There is a logical and a linguistic answer to your question.
If you wanted to make your statement completely precise, you might say something like this:-
The time at which I arrived today was the earliest of all the times at which I have ever arrived.
But that precision is bought at the expense of making it stilted and laboured.
Your statement is, strictly, a sentence fragment with no main verb. So you would not be well-advised to such a casually unrepentant justification to your enraged boss.
Nevertheless, it is clear. It is a sort of ellipsis, which takes for granted something like
[My arrival today was the] earliest [time at which] I’ve ever been to work.
This is not to say that the works in angle brackets passed through the speaker’s (or listener’s) mind unspoken!
answered 8 hours ago
TuffyTuffy
3,9551620
add a comment |
There is a logical and a linguistic answer to your question.
If you wanted to make your statement completely precise, you might say something like this:-
The time at which I arrived today was the earliest of all the times at which I have ever arrived.
But that precision is bought at the expense of making it stilted and laboured.
Your statement is, strictly, a sentence fragment with no main verb. So you would not be well-advised to such a casually unrepentant justification to your enraged boss.
Nevertheless, it is clear. It is a sort of ellipsis, which takes for granted something like
[My arrival today was the] earliest [time at which] I’ve ever been to work.
This is not to say that the works in angle brackets passed through the speaker’s (or listener’s) mind unspoken!
answered 8 hours ago
TuffyTuffy
3,9551620
add a comment |
There is a logical and a linguistic answer to your question.
If you wanted to make your statement completely precise, you might say something like this:-
The time at which I arrived today was the earliest of all the times at which I have ever arrived.
But that precision is bought at the expense of making it stilted and laboured.
Your statement is, strictly, a sentence fragment with no main verb. So you would not be well-advised to such a casually unrepentant justification to your enraged boss.
Nevertheless, it is clear. It is a sort of ellipsis, which takes for granted something like
[My arrival today was the] earliest [time at which] I’ve ever been to work.
This is not to say that the works in angle brackets passed through the speaker’s (or listener’s) mind unspoken!
answered 8 hours ago
TuffyTuffy
3,9551620
There is a logical and a linguistic answer to your question.
If you wanted to make your statement completely precise, you might say something like this:-
The time at which I arrived today was the earliest of all the times at which I have ever arrived.
But that precision is bought at the expense of making it stilted and laboured.
Your statement is, strictly, a sentence fragment with no main verb. So you would not be well-advised to such a casually unrepentant justification to your enraged boss.
Nevertheless, it is clear. It is a sort of ellipsis, which takes for granted something like
[My arrival today was the] earliest [time at which] I’ve ever been to work.
This is not to say that the works in angle brackets passed through the speaker’s (or listener’s) mind unspoken!
answered 8 hours ago
TuffyTuffy
3,9551620
answered 8 hours ago
TuffyTuffy
3,9551620
answered 8 hours ago
TuffyTuffy
3,9551620
answered 8 hours ago
TuffyTuffy
3,9551620
3,9551620
add a comment |
add a comment |
This is the earliest I've been to work.
That is strictly correct. Despite the fact that you were late, it is the earliest actual time you've arrived.
But if you want to make a specific point about still being late, you could instead say:
The is the least late I've been to work.
answered 7 hours ago
Jason BassfordJason Bassford
18.9k32245
add a comment |
This is the earliest I've been to work.
That is strictly correct. Despite the fact that you were late, it is the earliest actual time you've arrived.
But if you want to make a specific point about still being late, you could instead say:
The is the least late I've been to work.
answered 7 hours ago
Jason BassfordJason Bassford
18.9k32245
add a comment |
This is the earliest I've been to work.
That is strictly correct. Despite the fact that you were late, it is the earliest actual time you've arrived.
But if you want to make a specific point about still being late, you could instead say:
The is the least late I've been to work.
answered 7 hours ago
Jason BassfordJason Bassford
18.9k32245
This is the earliest I've been to work.
That is strictly correct. Despite the fact that you were late, it is the earliest actual time you've arrived.
But if you want to make a specific point about still being late, you could instead say:
The is the least late I've been to work.
answered 7 hours ago
Jason BassfordJason Bassford
18.9k32245
answered 7 hours ago
Jason BassfordJason Bassford
18.9k32245
answered 7 hours ago
Jason BassfordJason Bassford
18.9k32245
answered 7 hours ago
Jason BassfordJason Bassford
18.9k32245
18.9k32245
add a comment |
add a comment |
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In a slightly ironic twist, you could say "It's the earliest I've ever been late"
– Jim Mack
12 hours ago
"The earliest I've ever been to work" sounds to me like a statement about the earliest turn or shift you've ever done, (for instance "the time I worked as a milkman was the earliest I've ever been to work") not the earliest time you arrived at work. More appropriate to me is "Five past eight is the earliest I've ever got to work".
– BoldBen
7 hours ago