As Early As Fed's Meeting

[learningspirit]

I have a question about a possible error here:


"The Fed did say it did not expect to raise rates at its next meeting in April but many economists believe the first rate hike could come as early as the Fed's June meeting."


The phrase "as early as" refers to time. But "the Fed's June meeting" is an event, not a point in time. So, "as early as the Fed's June meeting" seems off. Would this rewrite:

"....as early as the time of the Fed's June meeting"


be better?

 

[SoothingDave]

No, The Fed's June meeting is a point in time.

 

[learningspirit]

@SoothingDave

The Fed's June meeting occupies a point in time, but it is itself not a point in time.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Picky, picky.

 

[learningspirit]

@MikeNewYork

So, the original is flawless standard English?

 

[MikeNewYork]

It is close enough. The meaning was clear. Are you here to learn or criticize?

 

[learningspirit]

What does "as early as" mean to native speakers?

 

[SoothingDave]

@SoothingDave

The Fed's June meeting occupies a point in time, but it is itself not a point in time.

Nonsense. You can measure things in time as "before" or "after" or "during" this meeting. It is a particular point in time. A milestone. A landmark.

 

[SoothingDave]

What does "as early as" mean to native speakers?

Not before. If something will happen "as early as X," then it will happen at X or some time after. The earliest we would expect to see it happen will be X.

 

[Matthew Wai]

'The first rate hike came as early as the Fed's June meeting.'
May I take it to mean 'The first rate hike came early at the Fed's June meeting'?
Not a teacher.

The Fed's June meeting occupies a point in time, but it is itself not a point in time.

It is not a point in time but represents a point in time.

 

[SoothingDave]

'The first rate hike came as early as the Fed's June meeting.'
May I take it to mean 'The first rate hike came early at the Fed's June meeting'?
Not a teacher.

It is not a point in time but represents a point in time.

No. You wouldn't use "as early as" when describing a past event. After the event happens, there is no need for such language. "As early as" is a conjecture about a future event.

 

[Matthew Wai]

You wouldn't use "as early as" when describing a past event.

Does the following sentence describe a past event?
'He started writing music as early as 1989.'── quoted from http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/early_2

 

[SoothingDave]

Does the following sentence describe a past event?
'He started writing music as early as 1989.'── quoted from http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/early_2

Yes. There is uncertainty. Let me amend my earlier statement to say that you would not use a phrase like "as early as" to describe a certain situation whether past or not.

When the Fed raises rates is a certain fact in history. When exactly a writer began writing songs is not, usually.

 

[learningspirit]

Would this:

"...the first rate hike could come as early as the Fed meet in June."

be better?

 

[Barb_D]

The Fed meeting, not the Fed meet.

What do you think "the Fed meet" means?

 

[learningspirit]

@Barb_D

I made an error in post 14. I meant to write:

"...the first rate hike could come as soon as the Fed's June meeting takes place."

 

[Barb_D]

It is no better than the original.
Why can you not accept an event or milestone as indicating a point in time?

 

[learningspirit]

@Barb_D

Does "as soon as" mean "at the same time as"?

 

[MikeNewYork]

No. The meaning is closer to "no later than".

 

[learningspirit]

@MikeNewYork

Is this definition available in any dictionaries?