after we arrived

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "after we arrived" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate a time or event that occurred following the arrival of a person or group. Example: "After we arrived at the hotel, we decided to explore the city."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

25. Immediately after we arrived..

Cornell University

But that was months after we arrived.

The New York Times - Travel

Our first meal after we arrived was dinner.

The New York Times - Travel

About three months after we arrived, I realized I was pregnant.

The New Yorker

After we arrived in Budibudi, I gave everyone a day off.

The New York Times

"This is like a perfectly dry joke," Affleck said, after we arrived.

The New York Times - Magazine

After we arrived, we cycled into a leafy valley, looking for a forgotten road.

Independent

Two days after we arrived, I met Bonnie for breakfast again.

The New Yorker

Soon after we arrived, the photographer that I was traveling with, Jehad Nga, recognized the place.

The New York Times - Magazine

After we arrived and met in Dresden, he nevertheless continued to perfect his language skills.

The Washington Post

Soon after we arrived, they started to make me do military drills.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "after we arrived", ensure that the subsequent clause clearly indicates the event or action that took place following the arrival. This helps to establish a clear temporal relationship for the reader.

Common error

Avoid ambiguity by ensuring the clause following "after we arrived" clearly refers to the subject that arrived. For example, instead of "After we arrived, the food was served", write "After we arrived, the waiter served the food" to clarify who arrived.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "after we arrived" functions as an adverbial phrase, specifically a prepositional phrase acting as an adverb of time. It modifies the main clause by specifying when the action in that clause occurred. Ludwig provides numerous examples illustrating this function.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Academia

25%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "after we arrived" serves as a versatile adverbial phrase denoting a time sequence. It is grammatically sound and commonly used across diverse contexts, as evidenced by Ludwig. While generally neutral in register, its formality can be adjusted using alternatives like "following our arrival". A key writing practice is to ensure clarity by explicitly stating what occurred following the arrival. Common errors involve misplaced modifiers, highlighting the importance of careful sentence construction. According to Ludwig, this expression effectively sets the stage for subsequent events, making it a valuable tool in storytelling and reporting.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

as soon as we arrived

Similar to "the moment we arrived" but slightly less emphatic.

once we got there

Uses "got there" instead of "arrived", implying a less formal arrival.

the moment we arrived

Emphasizes the immediacy of the event following the arrival.

following our arrival

More formal; replaces the conjunction "after" with "following" and uses the noun form of "arrive".

immediately after our arrival

Adds emphasis by specifying that the event happened immediately after arriving.

upon reaching our destination

Replaces "arrived" with "reaching our destination", focusing on the completion of the journey.

subsequent to our arrival

Highly formal and less common; replaces "after" with "subsequent to".

once we were on the scene

Implies arrival at a specific event or location, using more idiomatic language.

shortly after we got in

Informal, uses "got in" as a substitute for "arrived".

post-arrival

A concise, somewhat technical term indicating something happening after arrival.

FAQs

How can I use "after we arrived" in a sentence?

You can use "after we arrived" to describe something that happened following the act of arriving at a location. For example, "After we arrived, we checked into our hotel."

What's a more formal way to say "after we arrived"?

A more formal alternative is "following our arrival", which replaces the conjunction and verb with a preposition and noun phrase.

What can I say instead of "after we arrived" to emphasize immediacy?

To emphasize that something happened very soon after arriving, you could use phrases like "as soon as we arrived" or "immediately after we arrived".

Is it correct to say "after we had arrived" instead of "after we arrived"?

Both are grammatically correct, but "after we had arrived" (past perfect) emphasizes that the arrival occurred before another past action, whereas "after we arrived" (simple past) simply indicates sequence.