Page 26 - Basic English Usage
P. 26
15 26
11 Other positions
Some adverbs can go directly with particular words or expressions that
they modify. The most important are just, almost, only, really, even, right,
terribly.
I'll see you in the pub just before eight o’clock.
I've read the book almost to the end.
Only you could do a thing like that. _ | feel really tired.
He always wears a Coat, even in summer.
She walked right pastme. —_ We all thought she sang terribly badly.
15 after (conjunction)
clause + after clause
+
after clause, + clause
+
We can use after to join two clauses.
We can either say: B happened after A happened
OR After A happened, B happened.
The meaning is the same: A happened first.
Note the comma (,) in the second structure.
| went to America after | left school.
After | left school, | went to America.
He did military service after he went to university.
(= He went to university first.)
After he did military service, he went to university.
(= He did military service first.)
In a clause with after, we use a present tense if the meaning is future
(see 343).
|
arrive.
I'll telephone you after (NOT ... after+wifterrive.)
In clauses with after, we often use perfect tenses. We can use the
present perfect (have + past participle) instead of the present, and the
past perfect (had + past participle) instead of the past.
I'll telephone you after I’ve arrived.
After | had left school, | went to America.
There is not usually much difference of meaning between the perfect
tenses and the others in this case. Perfect tenses emphasize the idea
that one thing was finished before another started.
-ing
+
In a formal style, we often use the structure | after |.
After completing this form, return it to the Director's office.
He wrote his first book after visiting Mongolia.