He got up early to fish.

Meaning: This sentence describes a person's action of waking up early in the morning and going to a place where there are fish in order to catch them.

Choice of Words: Got up means to stand up after sitting or lying down. Early means at a time before the usual or expected time. To fish means to try to catch fish in water. When you put them together, "He got up early to fish" tells us that he woke up and stood up before the usual time in order to go fishing.

Alternative Expressions

The boy rose at dawn to angle.

Meaning: This means that the male child woke up at the first light of day in order to try to catch fish. It's like saying, The boy got out of bed as soon as the sun came up so he could go fishing.

Choice of Words: The boy is a noun phrase that refers to a specific male child. Rose is a verb that means to move from a lower to a higher position. At dawn is a noun phrase that means the first light of day. To angle is a verb that means to try to catch fish. When you put them together, "The boy rose at dawn to angle" means that the male child moved from a lower to a higher position at the first light of day in order to try to catch fish.

The young lad awoke with the break of day to cast his line.

Meaning: This means that the male child woke up at the first light of day in order to go fishing. It's like saying, The boy got out of bed as soon as the sun came up so he could go fishing.

Choice of Words: The young lad is a noun phrase that refers to a specific male child. Awoke is a verb that means to wake up. With the break of day is a noun phrase that means the first light of day. To cast his line is a verb phrase that means to throw a fishing line into the water. When you put them together, "The young lad awoke with the break of day to cast his line" means that the male child woke up at the first light of day in order to throw a fishing line into the water.

Related Expressions