Rules for using “later” and “after” in English

All of us learning English have heard the words “later” and “after”. Generally, we understand that the words “later” and “after” both indicate a subsequent moment in time. Then the question may arise, what is the difference between “later” and “after”? Although both words relate to time, they are used differently in sentences. “Later” [ˈleɪ.tər] is an adverb, meaning that it modifies verbs and usually appears at the end of sentences. “After” [ɑːf.tər] is a preposition, conjunction, and sometimes an adverb, meaning that it can introduce a subordinate clause or phrase and connect different parts of a sentence. Let’s look at some examples:

• “I will call you later.”
• “I will call you after the meeting.”

In these examples, “later” is used to indicate a time in the future without specifying when exactly, while “after” indicates that the call will take place after the meeting. In this article, we will examine in detail the distinct meanings and usages of “later” and “after” with explanations and examples.

“Later” – meaning and usage

In English, “later” is mostly an adverb and sometimes an adjective. As an adverb, it modifies verbs and is usually used to indicate a time in the future from the present moment. It does not specify an exact time, only that it will be after the present moment. Therefore, in general, “later” indicates an indefinite time in the future, while “after” indicates a sequence of events. As an adjective, it is used in the comparative form to indicate a later time or period.

Later as an adverb

“Later” indicates a time after the present moment or event. It is used to signify that something will happen in the future, without specifying an exact time.

Examples:

• “I’ll see you later.”
  • Used to indicate an unspecified future time.
• “She finished her homework and decided to watch TV later.”
  • Indicates that she decided to watch TV after finishing her homework.
• “He promised to return the book later.”
  • Indicates that the book will be returned in the future.

Later as an adjective

“Later” is used for comparison and means more recent or subsequent in time.

Examples:

• “In the later years of his life, he traveled extensively.”
  • Indicates a later period in his life.
• “The later chapters of the book are more exciting.”
  • Indicates the chapters that come after the initial ones.

Comparative forms:

• Late -> Later -> Latest:
  • “I stayed up late.”
  • “I’ll finish this later.”
  • “This is the latest news.”

Common phrases with “later”:

• “See you later”: A common farewell.
  • Example: “See you later!”
• “Later on”: Adds a bit more emphasis to “later”, but with the same meaning.
  • Example: “We can discuss this later on.”

“After” – meaning and usage

“After” is a multifunctional word in English that can act as a preposition, conjunction, and adverb. In each of these roles, “after” indicates the sequence of events, meaning that one event follows another.

After as a preposition

“After” is used to indicate that one event or action takes place after another in time.

Examples:

• “After the meeting, we went for coffee.”
  • Indicates that going for coffee happened after the meeting.
• “She arrived after the party started.”
  • Indicates that her arrival occurred after the party started.
• “He left after the rain stopped.”
  • Indicates that his leaving happened after the rain stopped.

After as a conjunction

“After” is used to introduce a subordinate clause that explains what happens after another event.

Examples:

• “I’ll call you after I finish work.”
  • Explains that the call will happen after finishing work.
• “They stayed at the park after it got dark.”
  • Indicates that their stay at the park continued after it got dark.

After as an adverb

“After” is used on its own to indicate an event that occurred later than another mentioned event.

Examples:

• “He arrived shortly after.”
  • Indicates that his arrival happened shortly after another event.
• “They left soon after.”
  • Indicates that their leaving happened soon after another event.

Common phrases with “after”:

• “After all”: Used to indicate a conclusion or important fact.
  • Example: “She decided to go. After all, it was her favorite place.”
• “Look after”: A phrasal verb meaning to take care of.
  • Example: “Can you look after the kids while I’m out?”

Key differences between “later” and “after” in English

Use “after” + phrase, but use “later” on its own (at the end of a sentence or phrase)

• “I’ll call you later.”
• “I’ll call you after I get home from work.”
• “First he bought a new car. Two weeks later, he bought a new motorcycle.”
• “He bought a new motorcycle two weeks after he bought a car.”

You can use “later + time period” to indicate an unspecified time in the future that is still within the mentioned period. For example:

• “I’ll finish the project later this week.”
• “We’ll go on vacation later this year.”

Never end a sentence with the word “after.” Instead, use “afterwards”

• “Did you go straight home after the baseball game?”
  • This is incorrect: “No, we went out for drinks after.”
  • “No, we went out for drinks afterwards.”

Understanding the difference between “later” and “after” is important for proper communication in English. “Later” is mostly an adverb indicating an unspecified future time, while “after” is more versatile and can act as a preposition, conjunction or adverb, indicating that one event follows another.