對著前一件事：中間沒有空隙
把量的基準從時鐘換成前一件事：不是「幾點該做」，而是「前面那件事一結束就做」，所以重點在中間沒有停頓。
without delay · r · B2
without delay; you do something soon, so there is no long wait.
及時；毫不拖延
核心畫面
Picture the gap between when something should happen and when it does — and then picture that gap closed to nothing. Sometimes the closing is measured against a clock (the meeting starts at nine, and it does), sometimes against the event just before it (he said it, and she walked out). Either way, nothing was allowed to sit and wait.
可以想成：一件事「該發生的時間」和「真的發生的時間」中間那道縫，然後把那道縫縮到零。有時候縫是對著時鐘量的（說九點開…更多收起
可以想成：一件事「該發生的時間」和「真的發生的時間」中間那道縫，然後把那道縫縮到零。有時候縫是對著時鐘量的（說九點開始，就九點開始），有時候是對著前一件事量的（他話一說完，她就走出去了）。不管哪一種，共通點都是沒有讓事情擱著等。From the picture
Also in this word
on time · r · B2
at the right time, without being late.
準時
原始詞典資料2 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
promptlyadv/ˈpɹɑmptli/
- 1
In a prompt manner.
- […] the ducklings nestled down inside it and promptly fell asleep.
- After being kidnapped by a seagoing ne'er-do-well, its Lady protagonist finds herself drifting through a passage at the North Pole into a wholly different world, with its own sun, moon and stars, and a population of bear-men, bird-men and fox-men who promptly make her Empress. Win!
- 2
In a prompt manner.
- The sale will begin on January 28th, promptly at 9 a.m.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。