before, prior to and in advance (2025)

Hello, could you help me with how to use "before, prior to and in advance " in this context?
What will be the most natural way to say it?

A: I've just opend your term deposit account. Here you are.
And for your information I'm saying.
If you close before 3 months, you need to pay penalty.
or If you close 3 months in advance, you need to pay penalty.
or If you close prior to 3 months, you need to pay penalty.

B: If I closed after 3 months have passed, don’t need to pay any penalty, right?

A: Yes, then you will have 5% interests.

Many thanks~

Sorry, there are a lot things wrong with these sentences. In each one, you must have an article with "penalty," in these cases, "a."

If you close the account before 3 months, you must pay a penalty.
No, I don't think this will do. You would need to add something like "elapse": If you close the account before 3 months elapse . . .

If you close the account 3 months in advance . . .
No, this isn't what you have in mind. It means 3 months before something else. If you clsoe the account 3 months in advance of its maturity is possible, but it is is likely that the bank's policy would be 3 months or more in advance of its maturity. I don't think that's what you have in mind, either.

If you close the account prior to 3 months. No, this doesn't make sense.

Assuming that you mean that there is a penalty if the account is closed at any time within the three months or 90 days after it is opened, only before 3 months elapse, of these three phrases, will convey that meaning.

flytothesky said:

Hello, could you help me with how to use "before, prior to and in advance " in this context?
What will be the most natural way to say it?

A: I've just opend your term deposit account. Here you are.
And for your information I'm saying.
If you close before 3monthes, you need to pay penalty.
or If you close 3monthes in advance, you need to pay penalty.
or If you close prior to 3monthes, you need to pay penalty.

B: If I closed after pass 3months, don’t need to pay any penalty, right?

A: Yes, then you will have 5% interests.

Many thanks~

Click to expand...

You would say "If you close the account before 3 months is up."
You could also say " If you close the account prior to 3 months being up" but this is a pretty informal way and usually only heard in spoken English.

Also your once sentence should be "If I close the account after 3 months have passed, I don't need to pay a penalty, right?"

Many thanks for your help~
sorry but I still can't get there... What if I say..

Landlord : You have lived over 2days than contract, you should pay $80 for 2days.

Tenant : No, you got it wrong, why don't you work out again? I have 2 more days to live your house.
I'm actually moving out 2days in advance.
I'm actually moving out before 2days.
I'm actually moving out prior to 2days.

So, you have to pay me for 2days rent.

Can I say like this? sorry for my poor understanding..

Okay, in this case you would say:

Landlord: You are two days past your contract, you should pay me $80 for those two days.

Tenant: No, you've got it wrong. Why don't you work it out again? I have two more days left in my contract. I am actually moving out two days early, so you should pay me for those two days.

In this particular context early is the easiest way to say it. If you were to use advance you would say:
"I am actually moving out 2 days in advance of my contract expiring." But this is a round about way of saying it.

If you were to use before in this context you would say:
"I am actually moving out 2 days before my contract expires."

If you were to use prior in this context you would say:
"I am actually moving out 2 days prior to my contract expiring." This is also a very round about way of getting your message across.

Feel free to ask again if you are still confused.