what difference is there if some adverbs are combined with prepositions

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zzang418lee

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Since I am not a native speaker, it is really hard to recognize the subtle difference between the adverbs with different prepositions. For example, early vs early on / later vs later on / hang about vs hang around / give off vs give out and etc.

and this is also relevant to my question that why people say 'go off to the library' instead of 'go to the library' and 'off the beach' to mean similar to 'along the beach'
I expect I would make a progress if I manage to detect those sutbtle differences in using English.

Thanks a lot!
 
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Grumpy

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There is really no significant difference between these usages. It's mostly a matter of personal preference. Take "early/later" vs "early/later on". If I was talking about the passage of time during the day, I'd probably use "early that day" and "later that day"; whereas if I was referring to someone's career, I'd say "early on in his career" and "later on in his career". However, switching them round would be just as correct. Don't worry about it.
 

emsr2d2

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I can't think of a context where "off the beach" would mean the same as "along the beach".
 

zzang418lee

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then could you tell me what 'off the beach' mean exactly?

Thank you
 

emsr2d2

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If you can give me an example sentence containing it, I can tell you what I think was meant by it.
 

Grumpy

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Perhaps they are saying "off to the beach" and "along to the beach"; which mean the same thing.
 

konungursvia

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Here it can at times; my apartment is located just off the beach (along the beach); we had a little barbecue just off the beach...
 

emsr2d2

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Here it can at times; my apartment is located just off the beach (along the beach); we had a little barbecue just off the beach...

For me, an apartment "just off the beach" would be slightly behind the beach. An apartment "along the beach" is on the beach but further along from where you are standing when you say it.
 
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