He drove fast and arrived an hour ___ schedule.
He drove fast and arrived an hour ___ schedule.
A) in advance; B) before; C) by; D) ahead of

The correct answer is D.
I get it that 'ahead of' is right. But why can't 'before' fit in the blank?

It's a vocabulary selection question from the CATTI exam ( China Accreditation Test for Translators and Interpreters) .

Question

He drove fast and arrived an hour ___ schedule.
He drove fast and arrived an hour ___ schedule.
A) in advance; B) before; C) by; D) ahead of

The correct answer is D.
I get it that 'ahead of' is right. But why can't 'before' fit in the blank?

It's a vocabulary selection question from the CATTI exam ( China Accreditation Test for Translators and Interpreters) .

Answer

"Before" is usually used with specific events (e.g., "before breakfast") whereas a schedule is a time plan, not an event.  Basically it's a case of collocation: we just say "ahead of" of "behind" schedule far more than any of the other synonyms, and so it becomes the "standard" answer.

Answer

@Pokemon 
'cause there is no 'of' in option A, so I just rule it out.

Answer

can"in advance of"fit in the blank?