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What does “before I knew it” mean?

Meaning, example sentence and a quick practice question.

C1

Very quickly, almost without realizing

“Before I knew it, an hour had gone by.”

From the C1 lesson You'll Never Guess… (telling news).

Quick check

What does “before I knew it” mean?

Teaching this phrase?“before I knew it” is part of a ready-to-teach lesson, with a reading, three exercises, speaking tasks and an answer key, in Everyday English Chunks C1 Pack 2 (Plans, Problems and Feelings).
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