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What is As soon as? The definition and usage

What is As soon as? How is this phrase employed in different tenses? Let’s join PREP to explore this phrase for better application in related exercises.

I. What is As soon as?
II. The position of “as soon as” in a sentence
1. 1. The middle of the sentence
2. 2. The beginning of the sentence
III. The usage of “as soon as”
IV. Equivalent phrases/structures to “as soon as”
V. The accompanying phrases of “as soon as”
VI. Some notes on “as soon as”
VII. Exercises on “as soon as”
VIII. Already Have a Good Score? Let’s Push It Higher

I. What is As soon as?

What is As soon as? As soon as is a common concern among new English learners. "As soon as" is used as a subordinating conjunction, meaning "immediately when" or "right after." It is used to connect two clauses within a sentence.

To better understand "What is As soon as?", let's refer to the following 2 examples with PREP:

I cried as soon as my friend had left the house.
She turned on the radio as soon as she had completed her task.

II. The position of “as soon as” in a sentence

What is as soon as? How to use As soon as in a sentence? Please refer to the content below!

1. The middle of the sentence

"As soon as" typically stands in the middle of a sentence as a conjunction that connects two dependent clauses. For example:

He came as soon as I finished my homework.
It rained as soon as I left the house.

2. The beginning of the sentence

However, there are special cases where "as soon as" can be placed at the beginning of a sentence, indicating:

Usage	Structure	Example
To express two actions that have not yet occurred at the time of speaking	As soon as + S + V(s/es), S + will V1	As soon as he comes back, he will give me a gift.
To express two actions that are happening in the present and will continue into the future	As soon as + S + have/has V3, S + will + V1	As soon as I finish my work, I will go home.

III. The usage of “as soon as”

What is As soon as? How do you use As soon as correctly? Let's find out with PREP! "As soon as" can be used with various tenses depending on the context. Here are specific examples of using the "as soon as" with different tenses:

1. Past tenses

In the past tense, "as soon as" is used to express two consecutive actions that occurred in the past. The structure of "as soon as" in the past tense is as follows:

S1 + V (past simple) + as soon as + S2 + V (past simple/past perfect)

For example:

My friend came home as soon as I had finished cooking lunch.
I felt comfortable as soon as I drank a cup of tea.

2. Present tenses

In the present simple tense, "as soon as" is used to express a repeated action. The structure of "as soon as" in the present simple tense is as follows:

S1 + V (present simple) + as soon as + S2 + V (present simple)

For example:

I listen to English as soon as I wake up.
She goes to bed as soon as the clock strikes 10 p.m.

3. Future tenses

In the future tense, "as soon as" is used to express an action that will be performed immediately when another action takes place in the future. The structure is as follows:

S1 + V (future simple) + as soon as + S2 + V (future simple/future perfect)

For example:

I will meet you as soon as I have finished my work.
I will go fishing as soon as I have gone to my village.

IV. Equivalent phrases/structures to “as soon as”

Below is the table of as soon as synonyms:

Phrase

Example

No sooner…than/Hardly…when

No sooner/Hardly had I woken up than/when I brushed my teeth.

= I brushed my teeth as soon as I had woken up.

Just as

It started to rain just as I left.

= It started to rain as soon as I left.

V. The accompanying phrases of “as soon as”

The most common word that accompanies "as soon as" is "possible".

As soon as possible = as quickly as you can

For example:

She wants to go to bed as soon as possible.
I want to go home as soon as possible.

The accompanying phrases of “as soon as”

VI. Some notes on “as soon as”

Please note the following points to use “as soon as”:

Each verb has a specific form for each tense. Pay attention to applying the correct structure of "as soon as" in each tense to avoid confusion when conjugating verbs.
Note some special cases regarding the placement of "as soon as" to avoid confusion when completing the sentence.

VII. Exercises on “as soon as”

Below are some exercises to practice and test your understanding and usage of the "as soon as":

1. Exercise 1: Match 2 clauses to form a complete sentence

1. As soon as the meeting ended	A. she hugged her
2. As soon as she met her daughter at the airport	B. she jotted down all the ideas
3. As soon as she heard that she had an urgent class	C. he gave her the gift.
4. As soon as I didn’t buy the shoe	D. she went to school
5. As soon as my father met my mother	E. I regretted it

2. Exercise 2: Give the correct form of the verbs in the parenthesis

He will call me as soon as she__________(go) to school.
She called her sister as soon as she__________(arrive) in Paris.
As soon as I passed the job, my father no longer__________(scold) at me.
In the summer, she turns on the air conditioner as soon as she__________(arrive) home.
He will go to the shoe store as soon as it__________(stop) raining.

3. Answer key

Exercise 1:

1 – B

2 – A

3 – D

4 – E

5 – C

Exercise 2:

1. goes

2. arrived

3. scolded

4. arrives

5. stops

VIII. Already Have a Good Score? Let’s Push It Higher

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Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.