When we’re talking about the two terms afterwords and afterwards, things can seem a little tricky. Have you ever found yourself pausing mid-sentence, not sure of which one to use? You’re not alone!
Afterwards is the correct word to use when you want to talk about something happening following an event or time. For example, “We went out for ice cream afterwards.”
The term afterwords is not commonly used in English. It sometimes appears as a creative title or in discussions about a speech or text, but it is not standard for indicating time sequence. Stick with afterwards for clarity and correctness.
Understanding “Afterwords”
Afterwords is a term you might not come across every day. It is the plural form of afterword, which refers to a section that comes at the end of a book. Think of it as a final note from the author or a closing remark. This might be the author sharing the journey of writing the book, or acknowledging people who supported them.
For example, in a novel, you might find an afterword discussing the book’s historical background. It’s a moment for the author to add a personal touch outside the story’s fiction.
What About “Afterwards”?
Now, let’s look at afterwards. This term is used differently. It’s an adverb, meaning it describes an action, and it talks about something happening after a certain event or time.
Imagine you go to a movie, and then you decide to grab a bite to eat. You might say, "We went to dinner afterwards." It’s showing when something happened in relation to another event.
Examples to Understand Better
- I’ll do my homework and then play video games afterwards.
- She visited the museum, and afterwards, stopped at the café next door.
- After the meeting, we all headed out to lunch afterwards.
Not too complicated, right? You’re using afterwards to signify that something follows up another action.
Making a Clear Choice Between the Two
So, which one should you use? It really depends on what you are trying to say. If you are discussing parts of a book, particularly a final comment or section, you’ll use afterwords.
On the other hand, if you’re referring to something occurring after an event, then afterwards is the right choice. Remember, not every book has an afterword, but every action can have something that follows afterwards.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Sometimes, people might mix these up because they sound pretty similar. Let’s try a couple of examples to see how confusing it might be if used incorrectly:
- Incorrect: I read the afterwords and felt inspired. (This could work, but only if you refer to a section in a book, not an event).
- Incorrect: Can we go to the park afterwards? (Here, ‘afterwards’ is correct as it follows an event, not a section of text).
It’s easy to see how a mix-up can change the meaning totally!
Engagement With the Reader
Why don’t you consider the last time you planned activities for an evening? Did you think about what you’d do afterwards? Or maybe the last novel you read, did it have an afterword? What did you think about it?
Using afterwords and afterwards properly helps clarify communication, whether in writing or speaking. Including them appropriately means everyone understands you clearly, which is always our goal, right?
Conclusion
To wrap it up, it’s good to remember:
- **Afterword** (and its plural, afterwords) is a noun, mainly used in print, like books.
- **Afterwards** is an adverb used to describe the timing of actions.
I hope this clears up some of the confusion! Next time you’re either wrapping up a book or planning what comes after your current action, you’ll know exactly which term to use! Isn’t English interesting with all these little details to pay attention to?
