Introduction
Learn to avoid common mistakes using the word after in a new English Express episode—a podcast from English Plus Podcast Network.
Interactive Transcript
Transcript
[00:00:00] Danny: Welcome to a new English Express episode. In this episode, we will talk about common mistakes we make using the word after. You can find the transcript on my website, englishpluspodcast.com. And now without further ado, let’s talk about common mistakes we make using the word after.
[00:00:26] So after, it’s a very simple word, right? How can we ever make mistakes in this word? Well, trust me, people make a lot of mistakes using the word after, which seems to be a very easy word, but it can lead to some common mistakes. Let me give you an example. After three weeks, I’m going back to France. What’s wrong with that?
[00:00:46] Nothing’s wrong. Let me give you another one that you might feel that there’s nothing wrong with this sentence. The new offices will be available for occupation after two months time. What’s wrong with that? I’m just talking about after three weeks I’m going back to France. That’s right. Don’t you think the new offices will be available for occupation after two months time?
[00:01:05] What’s wrong with that? Well, actually it is wrong. We cannot use after here. When we mean at the end of a period of time, which starts now, we use in not after we say, for example, can you come back in about 30 minutes? Not after 30 minutes or after about 30 minutes. It might sound counterintuitive. Why shouldn’t we use after?
[00:01:27] Well, we simply don’t. We use in, but remember the meaning is after the end of a period of time, which starts now. So coming back to these common mistakes, to those two sentences I started with, we shouldn’t use after. We should use in instead. Instead of saying after three weeks, I’m going back to France, we should say in three weeks, I’m going back to France and instead of saying the new offices will be available for occupation after two months time, we should say the new offices will be available for occupation in two months time. Let me give you another example and another common mistake. He came to see me after and apologized, or five minutes after the lights came on.
[00:02:09] For these two examples, you might feel that there’s something wrong because they kind of sound strange, right? And you are right. It’s a common mistake we don’t normally use after as adverb.. And you see here, we use them as adverb. We don’t normally do that. We usually use afterwards or later. So instead of saying he came to see me after and apologized, we should say, he came to see me afterwards and apologize.
[00:02:34] And instead of saying five minutes after the lights came on again, we usually say five minutes later, the lights came on again, not five minutes after; five minutes later. Now, let me give you another example. Anyone after 60 should be made to retire. Now here, anyone after 60, we’re talking about age, right?
[00:02:53] So isn’t it right to say after 50? Before 50? Not at all. When we mention someone’s age, we normally use over, not after we say anyone over 60 should be made to retire. I can say for example, all my friends are over 18, not are after 18. All right? What do you think? Did you learn anything you didn’t know about? Did you used to make common mistakes like that before?
[00:03:17] Because trust me, after you listen to this episode, you’re not going to make those common mistakes anymore. And that was everything I wanted to share with you in this English Express episode. Don’t forget to visit my website, englishpluspodcast.com, and check on the great learning opportunities you can find there.
[00:03:33] All the links you need are in the description of the episode. What are you waiting for? Take your English and learning to the next level and never stop learning with English Plus thank you very much for listening to this episode. This is your host, Danny. I will see you next time.
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