instead

"My friend told me there was something in the box, but I didn't know what it was yet. "

"She mentioned that she had a doctor's appointment this afternoon. "

"Except for one or two days a year, he usually walks to work."

"He’s shopping for clothes."

"It looks weaker and weaker, the more I think about it."

"The park is a good place to relax after school. "

"I danced with her all night long."

"The children are going to school. "

"The substitute teacher was very good at explaining the difficult math concepts. "

"at eleven, we went for an early lunch;  she began reading at an early age;  his mother suffered an early death"

"The children went to school this morning. "

"The school offered an alternative schedule for students who needed more time to study. "