What's the Difference Between 'Afterward' and 'Afterwards'?

In this blog post we look at when to use afterward and when to use afterwards.

'Afterward' or 'Afterwards'?

"Afterward" and "afterwards" are words that are used in the English language to describe events that occur later in time.

Despite the difference in their spelling, these two terms have the same meaning and are often used interchangeably.

"Afterward" and "afterwards" both mean "at a later time" or "coming later in time."

For example, "Afterward, I went to the store," or "I went to the store afterwards."

In both of these sentences, the words "afterward" and "afterwards" are used to describe when the event of going to the store occurred in relation to other events.

The only difference between "afterward" and "afterwards" lies in their usage and preference depending on the dialect of English being used.

"Afterward" is more commonly used in American English, while "afterwards" is more commonly used in British English. However, both terms are considered to be acceptable in both dialects and are widely used interchangeably.

In conclusion, "afterward" and "afterwards" are two terms with the same meaning, used to describe events that occur later in time.

The only difference between the two lies in their usage preference depending on the dialect of English being used. Regardless of which term is used, the meaning remains the same.

Here are some example sentences to illustrate the use of "afterward" and "afterwards":

  1. "Afterward, we went to the park for a picnic."

  2. "I finished my work and afterwards went for a walk."

  3. "She took a nap and felt refreshed afterward."

  4. "The meeting was postponed and will take place afterwards."

  5. "We had a long day and decided to relax afterward."

  6. "He cleaned up the kitchen and afterwards watched TV."

  7. "They had a party and slept well afterward."

  8. "Afterwards, I went to the library to study."

  9. "She finished her presentation and felt confident afterwards."

  10. "He went to the store and picked up some groceries afterward."

 

Notice that the two words can be used interchangeably.  The only difference lies in their usage either in American or British English.


Afterward or Afterwards
Afterward or Afterwards