soon

Use the adverb "soon" to describe a short period of time in the future. The length of the period of time depends on the situation. "Soon" could be a few minutes into the future or several years into the future.

• The movie begins soon. (This could be five minutes later.)
• I’ll see you soon. (This could be an hour later or a few days later.)
• Let’s get together soon. (This could be a few weeks from now–or never. Sometimes people say this to each other as they say goodbye without ever intending to see each other again.)
• Let’s do this again soon. (The event was fun. The next time could be any time in the future.)
• The house will be finished soon. (This could be two months later.)
• The kids will be leaving for college soon. (This could be one or two years later. A lot of preparation is necessary.)
• Soon, Grace will be retiring. (This could be three or four years later.)
• Tom is late. The sooner he gets here the better. (This is the comparative form for this adverb. This is also a type of expression.)
• What’s the soonest flight to New York? (This is the superlative form for this adjective.)

The word "soon" appears within the subordinating conjunction, "as soon as." Its meaning is similar to "when." Following "as soon as" in these examples, you must use a subject and a verb.

• As soon as your father gets home, we’ll eat.
• Call me as soon as you arrive.

"As soon as" is often used to talk about an amount of time that is relatively short:

• The project can be completed as soon as next week. (This sounds like a short time.)
• I need this mailed as soon as possible.
• I need this mailed A.S.A.P. (A.S.A.P. = as soon as possible. This is very popular.)

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This page was first published on March 22, 2013. It was updated on March 5, 2017.