Page 574 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

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Sometimes (/,sAmtaTrnz/) is an adverb of frequency (see 24). It means 'on some occasions', 'more than once' (past, present or future).
I sometimes went skiing when I lived in Germany.
Sometimes, in the long winter evenings, I just sit and think about life.
For sometimes and once. see 393
soon, early and quickly
soon
Soon means 'a short time after now' or 'a short time after then'. Get well soon. (NOT Get well early.)
The work was hard at the beginning, but she soon got used to it.
For 110 sooner. . . than. see 233. early
The adverb early means 'near the beginning of the time-period that we are thinking about'. It does not usually mean 'a short time after now/then'.
Early that week, Luke was called to the police station.
We usually take our holidays early in the year. (NOT ••• SfJ6n in the year.) I usually get up early and go to bed early. (NOT I ttSl;t(llly get ttp 366" •••)
Sometimes early means 'before the expected time'. The plane arrived twenty minutes early.
Early can also be used as an adjective.
I caught an early train. You're very early.
In a formal style, the adjective early can sometimes have the same kind of meaning as soon.
I should be grateful for an early reply.
Best wishes for an early recovery.
A watch or clock is fast or slow, not early or late.
My watch is five minutes fast.
3 quickly
Quickly refers to the speed with which something is done. Compare:
- Come and see us quickly. (= Hurry - make the arrangements fast.)
Come and see us soon. (= Come and see us before long.)
- He did the repair quickly but not very welL
I hope you can do the repair soon - I need the car.
551 sort of, kind of and type of 1 articles
The article a/an is usually dropped after sort of, kind ofand type of, but structures with articles are possible in an informal style.
That's a funny sort o f (aJ car. What sort o f (aJ bird is that?
soon, early and quickly 550
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