ENGLISH
REFERENCE

as soon as possible

fixed phr..
B1 Intermediate Oxford

fixed phr.. at the earliest time that you can do something.

fixed phr.. a formulaic expression used to indicate that an action must be performed with maximum urgency or at the first available opportunity.


SIMPLE

Please call me back as soon as possible.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager requested that the team finish the report as soon as possible to meet the deadline.

COMPLEX

The emergency services arrived as soon as possible, though the heavy snowfall significantly hindered their response time across the mountain pass.

Usage

often abbreviated to 'ASAP' in informal or business writing.

Teaching tip

teach this alongside the acronym ASAP, but warn students that saying the letters 'A-S-A-P' can sometimes sound more demanding or rude than the full phrase.

Pitfall

as soon as possiblyas soon as possiblethe phrase requires the adjective 'possible' to complete the comparative structure, not the adverb.

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