1.
Sooner is the comparative of soon .
2.
You say the ~ the better when you think something should be done as soon as possible.
Detective Holt said: ‘The kidnapper is a man we must catch and the ~ the better’.
PHRASE
3.
If you say that something will happen ~ or later, you mean that it will happen at some time in the future, even though it might take a long time.
Sooner or later she would be caught by the police.
= eventually
PHRASE: PHR with cl
4.
If you say that no ~ has one thing happened than another thing happens, you mean that the second thing happens immediately after the first thing.
No ~ had he arrived in Rome than he was kidnapped.
= scarcely
PHRASE
5.
If you say that you would ~ do something or you’d ~ do it, you mean that you would prefer to do it.
Ford vowed that he would ~ burn his factory to the ground than build a single vehicle for war purposes...
I’d ~ not talk about it...
I’d ~ he didn’t know till I’ve talked to Pete...
I would ~ give up sleep than miss my evening class...
I’d ~ not, if you don’t mind.
= would rather
PHRASE: MODAL inf, MODAL not inf, MODAL that, MODAL inf than inf, MODAL not