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he was late already vs he was already late

Both sentences are correct, and they are largely the same in meaning. 'He was late already' implies that he was late at a specific point in time, while 'He was already late' suggests that he was late in relation to a scheduled time or event.
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Explained by Vince
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: September 09, 2024 • 20926 views

he was late already

This phrase is correct but less common in English. It implies that he was late at a specific point in time.

This phrase is used to indicate that someone was late at a particular moment in the past.

Examples:

  • He was late already when I arrived at the meeting.
  • May 22, 2010 ... He was late already anyway, therefore a couple of minutes more or less wouldn't make a difference. Slowly he approached the crying girl that ...
  • He was late already; he might as well bring coffee. At least he didn't have to wait in line at the deli. A limo driver sat at one of the laminate tables across the room ...
  • 'Well … erm … he was late already,' replied Webb. 'And what if I want to speak to him?' asked Shepherd. 'Now?' 'Well …' Webb looked more uncomfortable.
  • The man picked up his pace slightly, wondering if he was late already. Had he spent too much time watching the sunset? When he reached the ...

Alternatives:

  • He was already late
  • He was already running late
  • He was late already by the time I got there

he was already late

This phrase is more commonly used in English. It suggests that he was late in relation to a scheduled time or event.

This phrase is used to indicate that someone was late in relation to a specific time or event.

Examples:

  • He was already late for the movie when I called him.
  • Feb 10, 2015 ... He was already late on delivering a separate novel, set in Harlem, that he owes a different publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and hoped to ...
  • already. adv déjà → I have already started making the dinner. → They've spent nearly a billion dollars on it already. → He was already late for his appointment.
  • They've spent nearly a million dollars on it already. 他 们 在 这 不 面 已 经 花 了 近 百 万 美 金 。 He was already late for his appointment. 他 约 会 已 经 迟 到 了 。
  • Feb 11, 2015 ... He was already late on delivering a separate novel … and hoped to hide the fact that he was moonlighting. And he wanted to see if he could ...

Alternatives:

  • He was late already
  • He was already running late
  • He was late already by the time I got there

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