Welcome to our English grammar lesson! Today, we’re going to learn about a very useful phrase: “”as soon as””. If you’re learning English, especially for speaking, understanding “”as soon as”” will help you express yourself more clearly and naturally. This lesson is perfect for beginners (A2 level) who want to improve their spoken English and learn common English grammar structures. We’ll explore what “”as soon as”” means, how to use it correctly, and give you plenty of examples and practice to boost your confidence.

What is “”As Soon As””?

“”As soon as”” is a time conjunction. Don’t worry if “”conjunction”” sounds complicated! It simply means it’s a word that connects two parts of a sentence and tells us about time. Specifically, “”as soon as”” tells us that one thing will happen immediately after another thing.
Think of it like this: Imagine you are waiting for your friend to arrive. You can say, “”As soon as my friend arrives, we will go to the cinema.”” This means the moment your friend gets there, you will immediately leave for the cinema. There’s no delay!
“”As soon as”” is used to show that two actions happen very close together in time, one right after the other. It’s a great way to talk about events that are linked in time.

How to Use “”As Soon As”” Correctly

There are a couple of ways you can structure sentences with “”as soon as””. Let’s look at the most common patterns:

Structure 1: “”As soon as”” + Clause 1, Clause 2

In this structure, “”as soon as”” starts the sentence and is followed by the first event (Clause 1). We then use a comma (,) to separate it from the second event (Clause 2). The second event happens immediately after the first.
Here are some examples to help you understand:

• As soon as I finish my work, I will call you. (First action: finish work. Second action: call you. Calling happens right after finishing work.)
• As soon as the class starts, please be quiet. (First action: class starts. Second action: be quiet. Being quiet should happen immediately when the class starts.)
• As soon as it stops raining, we can go for a walk. (First action: rain stops. Second action: go for a walk. Walking happens right after the rain stops.)
• As soon as she hears the news, she will tell everyone. (First action: she hears news. Second action: she tells everyone. Telling happens right after hearing the news.)

Notice the tenses! In these examples, we often use the present simple tense after “”as soon as”” (e.g., “”finish””, “”starts””, “”stops””, “”hears””) to talk about the first action, even if we are talking about the future. For the second action, we often use the future simple tense (e.g., “”will call””, “”will be””, “”can go””, “”will tell””). This is a common pattern in English when using time conjunctions like “”as soon as””.

Structure 2: Clause 2 + “”as soon as”” + Clause 1

You can also put “”as soon as”” in the middle of the sentence. In this case, you don’t need a comma before “”as soon as””. The meaning stays the same.
Let’s rewrite our previous examples using this structure:

• I will call you as soon as I finish my work.
• Please be quiet as soon as the class starts.
• We can go for a walk as soon as it stops raining.
• She will tell everyone as soon as she hears the news.

See? The meaning is exactly the same! Both structures are correct and commonly used in English.

Key Points to Remember about “”As Soon As””

• Time Order: “”As soon as”” always shows that one action happens immediately after another. The action in the “”as soon as”” clause happens first.
• Tenses: When talking about the future, we often use the present simple tense after “”as soon as”” and the future simple tense in the main clause. This is important for correct English grammar.
• Comma: Use a comma after the “”as soon as”” clause when it comes at the beginning of the sentence. No comma is needed when “”as soon as”” is in the middle.
• Speaking English: “”As soon as”” is fantastic for spoken English! It makes your sentences sound natural and fluent when you’re talking about events happening quickly one after another. Practice using it in your daily conversations.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even though “”as soon as”” is quite simple, there are a few common mistakes that English learners sometimes make. Let’s look at them so you can avoid them!

Incorrect Tense Usage

One common mistake is using the future tense after “”as soon as”” when talking about future events. Remember, we usually use the present simple after “”as soon as”” for future situations.
Incorrect: As soon as I will arrive, I will call you.
Correct: As soon as I arrive, I will call you.
Incorrect: As soon as she will finish eating, she will go out.
Correct: As soon as she finishes eating, she will go out.
Always remember to use the present simple tense in the clause that starts with “”as soon as”” when you are talking about something that will happen in the future.

Comma Mistakes

Another small mistake is forgetting the comma when “”as soon as”” starts the sentence.
Incorrect: As soon as I get home I will relax.
Correct: As soon as I get home, I will relax.
Remember the rule: “”As soon as”” clause at the beginning = use a comma!

“”As Soon As”” in Speaking English

“”As soon as”” is incredibly useful for everyday conversations in English. It helps you talk about your plans, routines, and reactions to events. Let’s see some examples of how you might use it in spoken English:

• Making plans: “”As soon as I finish this meeting, let’s grab coffee.””
• Talking about routines: “”As soon as I wake up, I check my emails.””
• Expressing immediate reactions: “”As soon as I heard the music, I started dancing!””
• Giving instructions: “”As soon as you get to the traffic lights, turn left.””

Try to use “”as soon as”” in your next English conversation. It’s a great way to sound more fluent and natural. Practice saying sentences out loud to get comfortable with the structure. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – that’s how you learn! The more you practice speaking, the better you will become at using “”as soon as”” and other English grammar structures.

Let’s Practice!

Now it’s time to practice what you’ve learned! Fill in the blanks in the following sentences using the correct form of the verbs in brackets and “”as soon as””. Remember to use the correct tenses and commas where needed.

1. __________ (I / arrive) home, I will take a shower.
2. She will call you __________ (she / have) time.
3. __________ (we / finish) dinner, we can watch a movie.
4. Please send me the document __________ (you / complete) it.
5. __________ (the sun / set), it gets cold.

Answers to Practice

1. As soon as I arrive home, I will take a shower.
2. She will call you as soon as she has time.
3. As soon as we finish dinner, we can watch a movie.
4. Please send me the document as soon as you complete it.
5. As soon as the sun sets, it gets cold.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve now learned how to use “”as soon as”” in English. You understand what it means, how to form sentences with it, and common mistakes to avoid. Remember, practice is key! The more you use “”as soon as”” in your speaking and writing, the more natural it will become.

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