After
I studied Italian after I went to Italy.
Explain - Past tense
We take a clause:
I went to Italy.
Past
Now
Future
I went to Italy.
Add another clause:
I studied Italian.
To say this clause happened second we can use 'after'.
I studied Italian after
Past
Now
Future
I went to Italy.
I studied Italian after I went to Italy.
Explain - Present / Future tense
Let's take a clause:
I go to Italy.
Past
Now
Future
I go to Italy.
Add another clause and use 'after' to say it will happen second:
I will study Italian.
I will study Italian after
Past
Now
Future
I go to Italy.
I will study Italian after I go to Italy.
Rules
Past tense
Past tense clause after past simple clause
Present / Future tense
Present / Future tense clause after present simple / present perfect clause
Examples
Present clause: I want to eat after
Past
Now
Future
Present perfect: we've been to the cinema.
I want to eat dinner after we've been to the cinema.
Past tense clause: We went swimming
Past
Now
Future
Past simple: we got home from work.
We went swimming after we got home from work.
Past tense clause: I used to like a coffee
Past
Now
Future
Past simple: I got-up
I used to like a coffee after I got-up.
Present clause: I might have a drink after
Past
Now
Future
Present simple: (I have) dinner.
I might have a drink after (I have) dinner.
Note: we can remove the second 'I have' because it is repeated.
Drivers
Vocabulary - nouns
Vocabulary - verbs
Practice - Past tense
Yesterday
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3:00pm - Natalia - her office
3:27pm - Naoko - the airport
4:06pm - Ben - a restaurant
4:42pm - Janice - a meeting across town
5:15pm - 5:45pm - break
6:19pm - Peter - his house
7:00pm - Jamie - the airport
Actions: Natalia / take & Naoko / drop off
Natalia / take
Past
Now
Future
Naoko / drop off
I took Naoko to the airport after I dropped off Natalia.
Actions: Ben / drop off & Janice / pick up
Ben / drop off
Past
Now
Future
Janice / pick up
Answer
I picked up Janice at a meeting across town after I dropped off Ben at a restaurant.
Actions: have my break & Peter / take
Answer
I took Peter to his house after I had my break.
Actions: Peter / drop off & Jamie / collect
Answer
I collected Jamie to go to the airport after I dropped off Peter.
Practice - Present / Future tense
Tomorrow
10:00am - Yasmine - from home to a meeting
10:30am - Kelly - hospital (very important)
11:15am - Ellie - shopping centre (95% certain to happen)
1:00pm - lunch
3:00pm - Penny - airport (100% certain)
Actions: Yasmine / collect / drop off & Kelly / take
Answer
I have to take Kelly to the hospital after I take Yasmine from her home to a meeting.
Actions: Kelly / drop off & Ellie / take
Answer
I'm going to take Ellie to the shopping centre after I drop off Kelly at the hospital.
Actions: lunch / have & Penny / take
Answer
I will take Penny to the airport after I have lunch.
Nouns / gerunds
We can make the second clause into a noun or gerund.
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Rules:
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Subjects on both clauses must be the same
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The verb 'be' must be changed into the 'be' verb
Examples with gerunds
I have to pick up David after I drop off Ben at the airport.
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Subjects on both clauses must be the same
-
The verb 'be' must be changed into the 'be' verb
I have to pick up David after dropping off Ben at the airport.
I dropped off Nick after I chatted with him about sports.
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Subjects on both clauses must be the same
-
The verb 'be' must be changed into the 'be' verb
I dropped off Nick after chatting with him about sports.
She should know the way after she goes there once.
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Subjects on both clauses must be the same
-
The verb 'be' must be changed into the 'be' verb
She should know the way after going there once.
The car looks good after it is cleaned.
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Subjects on both clauses must be the same
-
The verb 'be' must be changed into the 'be' verb
The car looks good after being cleaned.
My colleague picked up Kevin after I dropped off Michael.
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Subjects on both clauses must be the same
-
The verb 'be' must be changed into the 'be' verb
My colleague picked up Kevin after I dropped off Michael.
Examples with nouns
You can only use a noun when the associated verb is obvious. For example:
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deliver / drop-off a parcel
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drive the number 15 bus
-
eat / have lunch
I'm going to drop off this parcel after I drop off that parcel.
​
I'm going to drop off this parcel after I drop off that parcel..
​
I'm going to drop off this parcel after that parcel..
My friend is going to drive the number 23 bus after he drives the number 15 bus.
​
My friend is going to drive the number 23 bus after he drives the number 15 bus.
​
My friend is going to drive the number 23 bus after the number 15 bus.
The driver should pick up the parcel after lunch.
This is a noun: door.
​
It is not associated with or used mostly with any verb. You could: open, close, pull, push or hang a door.
​
This sentence is wrong:
​
I will put a jacket on after door.
​
It is wrong because the listener does not know which verb should go here:
​
I will put a jacket on after _______ door.
Putting 'After' at the front
I went to Italy...
Past
Now
Future
???????
What happened after you went to Italy?
After I went to Italy
Past
Now
Future
I studied Italian.
After I went to Italy, I studied Italian.
Examples
I studied Italian after I went to Italy.
After I went to Italy, I studied Italian.
I must take my mum to the supermarket after breakfast.
After breakfast I must take my mum to the supermarket.
In the morning, my dad will drive a lorry to Brighton after picking up lots of parcels.
In the morning, after picking up lots of parcels, my dad will drive a lorry to Brighton.
Practice
Swap the clauses in these sentences:
I usually fall asleep on the sofa after watching a film.
​
After watching a film I usually fall asleep on the sofa.
I picked up a customer after taking Lucy to the train station.
Answer
After taking Lucy to the train station I picked up a customer.
I have to drive the Central Line train this week after driving the District Line train last week.
Answer
After driving the District Line train last week I have to drive the Central Line train this week.
After - negative
To make the sentence negative, change the 2nd action.
I will not study Italian after
Past
Now
Future
I go to Italy.
I will not study Italian after I go to Italy.
​
I will not study Italian after going to Italy.
​
After I go to Italy, I will not study Italian.
​
After going to Italy, I will not study Italian.
After - questions (?)
To make the sentence into a question, change the 2nd action into a question.
Will you study Italian after
Past
Now
Future
you go to Italy?
Will you study Italian after you go to Italy?
​
Will you study Italian after going to Italy?
​
After you go to Italy, will you study Italian.
​
After going to Italy, will you study Italian.
Practice
Change these sentences into questions.
I need to pick up Tim after I drop off Steven.
​
Do I need to pick up Tim after I drop off Steven?
A driver must clean the car after driving it all day.
Answer
Must a driver clean the car after driving it all day?
I used to stay overnight after I drove lorries to France.
Answer
Are you going to prepare some of the food before grabbing the rest?
Examples with 'chunks'
I might go out for a drink after work tonight.
​
My mum used to clean the house for 3 hours after Christmas.
​
At the cinema, after watching the film, we always go to the pub to chat about it.
I go to the gym twice a week after going to work.
​
Every day, after work, I watch read the newspaper in the living room.
+ TIME CHUNK
+ DURATION CHUNK
+ LOCATION CHUNK
+ FREQUENCY CHUNK
+ LOCATION CHUNK
Conclusion
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[2nd action] after [1st action]
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After [1st action], [2nd action]
​
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[1st action] can be in the gerund form if:
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the subject is the same
-
the verb 'be' is changed to the 'be' form
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[1st action] can be a noun if:​
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the subject is the same​
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the noun with the verb is obvious to the listener
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