Soon, it was too big to fit in its old home.

Meaning: The caterpillar had grown so big that it could no longer live in its old home.

Choice of Words: Soon means in a short time. Fit means to be the right size or shape to go into a particular space. Home is the place where someone lives. The phrase "too big to fit in its old home" suggests that the caterpillar had grown so large that it could no longer live in its old home.

Alternative Expressions

It grew so big that it couldn't fit in its old home anymore.

Meaning: This sentence conveys the same meaning as the first example, but it emphasizes the process of growth and the resulting inability to fit in the old home.

Choice of Words: Grew refers to the process of becoming larger, so is used to indicate a result, big means large in size, that introduces a dependent clause, couldn't is the past tense of the verb "can not," fit means to be the right size or shape to go in a particular space, in indicates a position or location within something, and its old home refers to the previous residence of the subject.

Before long, it had outgrown its old home.

Meaning: This sentence uses the verb "outgrow" to describe the subject's growth and the resulting need for a larger home.

Choice of Words: Before long means in a short period of time, it is used to refer to something that has been mentioned before, had is the past tense of the verb "to have," outgrown means to become too big for something, and its old home refers to the previous residence of the subject.

Related Expressions