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Earliest I've been to work



The 2019 Stack Overflow Developer Survey Results Are In
Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar Manara
Planned maintenance scheduled April 17/18, 2019 at 00:00UTC (8:00pm US/Eastern)Interpreting ambiguous agreementThe placement of “only” in a sentence with perfect continuous tense and “been”I can't not be pregnantConflicting Advice: “Not Only,” “But Also” Constructions — Comma, No Comma, Parallel Structure?Difference between Present perfect and simple past logicallyHow to break sentences to get clear understanding?Is it correct to say “like is done”?No preposition after 'work' in: 'My dad could only work construction'“Some of the [superlative adjective] I've ever been” — another way to phrase this?Using commas around names that specify relationship



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1















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?










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  • In a slightly ironic twist, you could say "It's the earliest I've ever been late"

    – Jim Mack
    Mar 14 at 15:12











  • "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
    Mar 14 at 19:53


















1















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?










share|improve this question














bumped to the homepage by Community 2 mins ago


This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.















  • In a slightly ironic twist, you could say "It's the earliest I've ever been late"

    – Jim Mack
    Mar 14 at 15:12











  • "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
    Mar 14 at 19:53














1












1








1








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?










share|improve this question














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






share|improve this question













share|improve this question











share|improve this question




share|improve this question










asked Mar 14 at 14:31









HarambeHarambe

61




61





bumped to the homepage by Community 2 mins ago


This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.







bumped to the homepage by Community 2 mins ago


This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.














  • In a slightly ironic twist, you could say "It's the earliest I've ever been late"

    – Jim Mack
    Mar 14 at 15:12











  • "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
    Mar 14 at 19:53


















  • In a slightly ironic twist, you could say "It's the earliest I've ever been late"

    – Jim Mack
    Mar 14 at 15:12











  • "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
    Mar 14 at 19:53

















In a slightly ironic twist, you could say "It's the earliest I've ever been late"

– Jim Mack
Mar 14 at 15:12





In a slightly ironic twist, you could say "It's the earliest I've ever been late"

– Jim Mack
Mar 14 at 15:12













"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
Mar 14 at 19:53






"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
Mar 14 at 19:53











3 Answers
3






active

oldest

votes


















0














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.






share|improve this answer






























    0














    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!






    share|improve this answer






























      0















      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.







      share|improve this answer























        Your Answer








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        3 Answers
        3






        active

        oldest

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        3 Answers
        3






        active

        oldest

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        active

        oldest

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        active

        oldest

        votes









        0














        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.






        share|improve this answer



























          0














          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.






          share|improve this answer

























            0












            0








            0







            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.






            share|improve this answer













            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.







            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered Mar 14 at 17:11









            XekiXeki

            123




            123























                0














                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!






                share|improve this answer



























                  0














                  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!






                  share|improve this answer

























                    0












                    0








                    0







                    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!






                    share|improve this answer













                    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!







                    share|improve this answer












                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer










                    answered Mar 14 at 18:46









                    TuffyTuffy

                    4,1151621




                    4,1151621





















                        0















                        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.







                        share|improve this answer



























                          0















                          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.







                          share|improve this answer

























                            0












                            0








                            0








                            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.







                            share|improve this answer














                            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.








                            share|improve this answer












                            share|improve this answer



                            share|improve this answer










                            answered Mar 14 at 19:47









                            Jason BassfordJason Bassford

                            20.3k32648




                            20.3k32648



























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