Mastering "Since Early This Year": A Simple Grammar Guide

Are you learning English and sometimes feel confused by phrases that describe time? You're not alone! Today, we're diving into a common and useful adverbial phrase: since early this year. Understanding how to use adverbial phrases is key to improving your fluency in English. This guide will help ESL learners grasp its meaning, grammar rules, and how to use it naturally in your everyday conversations and writing. Ready to modify verbs with confidence?

Table of Contents

• What Does “Since Early This Year” Mean?
• What Type of Adverbial Phrase Is “Since Early This Year”?
• Example Sentences with “Since Early This Year”
• When and How to Use “Since Early This Year”
• Summary and Practice Tip

More: Mastering 'in a few hours': A Simple Grammar Guide

What Does “Since Early This Year” Mean?

"Since early this year" means from a point in time shortly after January 1st of the current year, up until the present moment. It describes a period that started in the past and continues to now. This adverbial phrase tells us when something began and has been ongoing. It typically functions as a verb modifier, explaining the duration of an action or state.

More: Mastering 'For the Rest of the Week': A Simple Grammar Guide

What Type of Adverbial Phrase Is “Since Early This Year”?

This is an adverbial phrase of time. It specifies the starting point of an action or state that is still relevant or continuing in the present.

Grammatical Structure

Let's break down its parts:

• Since: This is a preposition that indicates the starting point of a time period.
• Early: An adverb that modifies "this year," specifying a time shortly after the beginning of the year.
• This year: A noun phrase referring to the current year.

This phrase nearly always appears with perfect tenses, especially the present perfect tense. This is because the present perfect tense connects a past action or state to the present, making it perfect for describing duration.

Sentence Patterns

Here are common sentence structures:

• Subject + Present Perfect Verb + [Adverbial Phrase]
  • We have been working on this project since early this year.
• [Adverbial Phrase], Subject + Present Perfect Verb (less common, often for emphasis)
  • Since early this year, the team has seen significant progress.

More: How to Use 'At a Later Date' in English: Meaning & Examples

Example Sentences with “Since Early This Year”

Here are some natural-sounding examples to show you how to use since early this year in context:

• Sarah has been studying French diligently since early this year.
• The weather has been unusually warm since early this year.
• Person A: "How long have they been living in London?" Person B: "They moved there and have been settled in since early this year."
• Person A: "Has the new café been busy?" Person B: "Oh yes, it's been packed with customers every day since early this year."

When and How to Use “Since Early This Year”

You will often hear and use "since early this year" in various contexts to talk about ongoing situations or states. It's suitable for both formal and informal communication, including emails, casual speech, and storytelling.

Typical Use Cases

• Describing continuous actions or states: "I've been feeling much healthier since early this year."
• Reporting on progress or changes: "Our sales figures have increased steadily since early this year."
• Discussing personal experiences: "She's been volunteering at the animal shelter since early this year."

Common Mistakes

A common mistake is using this phrase with a simple past tense verb. Remember, "since" implies a connection to the present. The action started in the past but continues or has a result now.

• Incorrect:I worked on this project since early this year.
• Correct:I have been working on this project since early this year.

Also, be sure to use the correct auxiliary verb (e.g., has/have) for the present perfect tense. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, "since" is typically used with the present perfect or past perfect tenses to show an action or situation continuing from a specific time in the past.

Summary and Practice Tip

"Since early this year" is an essential adverbial phrase of time. It precisely tells us when an ongoing action or state began, connecting it to the present moment. Remember to pair it with perfect tenses, usually the present perfect, to ensure correct grammar and natural sentence use.

To truly master this phrase, try writing your own sentences. Think about something you've been doing or something that has changed since early this year. Write it down! For more tips on how to use adverbial phrases and improve your English grammar, explore our other articles and continue your journey to fluency in English.