What is the difference between すぐ and すぐに?

Question

I have seen a video of someone deglosating a sentence. The original sentence was アリスはすぐ下に落ちた which can translate to "Alice soon fell below". But when I saw the sentence, I thought the に particle could be used as アリスはすぐに下に落ちた. I don't know if this is too redundant or if it's correct at all, but I was confused with the fact that に was not used with すぐ this time.

Also, I tried removing the particle completely and I thing it may make sense. It turns out like this: アリスはすぐ下落ちた.

Anyways, any explanation on the topic is appreciated.

Answer 1

• The particle に, among other uses, means 'at, in or on' a point in time at which something takes place.

• The adverb すぐ means 'at once, immediately, etc.', and signifies that time or physical distance is very short. に is optional unless you want to particularly highlight the time phrase and the sense of immediacy.

家に変えったらすぐ、寝てしまいました。 As soon as I got home, I went to bed. / I went to bed as soon as I got home, . There is no particular emphasis on either clause.

会ったすぐに、 結婚を申し込んだ。 I proposed to her as soon as I met her. The emphasis is on the time phrase, rather than the act of proposing.

So if you add に to アリスはすぐ下に落ちた, you are emphasising that 'straight away' is important and not that she fell. アリスは,すぐに倒れた。

Its use would depend on the context - for example, if you already knew Alice was learning to walk again after an accident and was likely to fall but, you were interested in knowing how long she could stay on her feet. Oh no! すぐに倒れた。