after asking

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "after asking" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something occurred subsequent to a request or inquiry being made. Example: "After asking for clarification, I finally understood the instructions."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Mr. Marx received me cordially and after asking me to sit down, admired my cravat.

The New Yorker

"And after asking me two or three times, finally I agreed to let her go back".

Unicef

After asking, "Am I woman?

The New Yorker

After asking: "Am I done?

The Guardian

After Asking for It, what's next for O'Neill?

The Guardian

This hypothesis was confirmed after asking both groups to perform a series of learning tasks.

Columbia University

After asking himself if the president-elect ran a racist campaign, he answered in the affirmative.

Harvard University

Ananse wakes and after asking who is in his garden, hits (pretends to hit) the scarecrow.

Yale University

After asking for a swivel chair and more ice, Rose introduced Cool!, a successor to SnowWorld.

The New Yorker

After asking Ms. Roberts a few questions, Judge Hart turned his attention to Ms. Lynch.

The New York Times

Mr. Dmitrichenko, after asking his final question, offered an apology along with another denial.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "after asking", ensure the context clearly indicates who is asking and what is being asked. This avoids ambiguity and ensures the sentence is easily understood.

Common error

Avoid placing "after asking" at the beginning of a sentence if it's unclear who is doing the asking. This can lead to confusion about the subject of the action. Ensure the subject is clearly defined near the phrase.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "after asking" functions as a temporal adverbial phrase, indicating when an action or event occurred in relation to the act of asking. Ludwig confirms that this usage is grammatically sound.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

53%

Academia

23%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Science

8%

Formal & Business

1%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "after asking" is a grammatically sound and very common temporal adverbial phrase used to indicate that an action or event occurred following a request or inquiry. As Ludwig confirms, its correct usage helps establish a clear sequence of events. The phrase sees frequent use in news, academic, and wiki contexts. When using "after asking", ensure clarity regarding who is asking and what is being asked. Consider alternatives such as ""following the question"" or ""upon questioning"" for stylistic variation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

following the question

This alternative is more formal and concise, suitable for professional contexts.

upon questioning

This alternative is slightly more concise and emphasizes the act of questioning.

once the inquiry was made

This option is more formal and emphasizes the completion of the asking process.

following up on the request

This highlights the action taken after the initial request.

subsequent to the request

This phrase is highly formal and emphasizes the temporal sequence.

having inquired

This is a more formal and literary alternative.

once having asked

This is a more emphatic way of stating that the asking occurred.

post-inquiry

This is a concise and somewhat technical alternative.

with the question posed

This alternative focuses on the state of the question being asked.

in the wake of the query

This option is more dramatic and emphasizes the impact of the question.

FAQs

How to use "after asking" in a sentence?

The phrase "after asking" indicates that something happened subsequent to someone making a request or inquiry. For example, "After asking for directions, we found the restaurant".

What can I say instead of "after asking"?

You can use alternatives like "following the question", "subsequent to the request", or "upon questioning" depending on the context.

Is it redundant to say "after asking a question"?

While it's generally understood that "asking" implies a question, specifying "after asking a question" can add clarity if the context involves other types of requests or inquiries.

What is the difference between "after asking" and "before asking"?

"After asking" indicates something happened following the inquiry, while "before asking" indicates something happened prior to the inquiry. The phrases establish opposite temporal relationships.