and only afterwards

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "and only afterwards" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something occurs after a specific event or action has taken place. Example: "She completed her homework and only afterwards did she go out to play."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

22 human-written examples

Far better to big up the general customer experience and, only afterwards, drop in the hotels' sustainability credentials.

The Guardian

Indeed, his participation at the 2016 world championships was crowd‑funded and only afterwards was he able to turn fully professional.

The Guardian - Sport

No, no, really it's my pleasure.') And only afterwards did I notice that it was Ryanair's inaugural flight to the city.

The Guardian - Travel

I had already made this decision in the Spring, but I thought that I would first turn against the West in a few years, and only afterwards against the East..

Yale University

At every moment, formless shadows, flickerings, faint tremblings and patches of light rise up on either side of him, and only afterwards, when he has a little perspective, do they becomes trees and men and cars.

The Guardian

The show began with strong ratings for the prerecorded blind auditions, featuring the judges giving their verdict while facing away from the singers, and only afterwards swivelling in their chairsto see what they looked like.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

38 human-written examples

First, let's suppose that before taking their oath, these governors were all true believers in public education, and that only afterwards did they undergo a soul-changing "Damascus experience," whereby they realized that the only way of saving these schools was by destroying them, as the saying went during the Vietnam era that "the only way of saving a town was destroying it".

Huffington Post

He said this with strength and conviction, with the moral force of his life as a priest, and with a hint of anger, and it was only afterwards that it occurred to me that "should" in this context can have more than one meaning.

The Guardian - Books

How relatively little Cdc14 dephosphorylates these early targets at anaphase onset and promotes completion of Cdk downregulation and mitotic exit only afterwards is so far not understood.

Current Opinion in Cell Biology

To ensure that never happens, we point the laser only at the photodetector and turn on only afterwards.

Cornell University

Israelis want an end to Palestinian violence first, says Eyal Arad, an adviser to Mr Sharon, and Palestinian independence only afterwards.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "and only afterwards", ensure that the sequence of events is clear to the reader. This phrase works best when emphasizing the order in which actions occur, especially when the timing is significant.

Common error

Avoid using "and only afterwards" when the order of events is not crucial to the meaning. Overusing this phrase can make your writing sound repetitive or overly formal. Simpler alternatives like "and then" may be more appropriate in many cases.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "and only afterwards" functions as a conjunctive adverbial phrase. It connects two clauses while indicating a temporal sequence, emphasizing that the second event occurred solely after the first. Ludwig's examples show it is often used to clarify order of events.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

44%

Science

32%

Wiki

9%

Less common in

Formal & Business

6%

Academia

3%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "and only afterwards" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase to indicate a temporal sequence, with a neutral to formal register. According to Ludwig, its purpose is to emphasize that an event occurred solely after another. Common in news, media, and scientific contexts, it signals the importance of order. While versatile, simpler alternatives like "and then" may suffice in less formal settings. When writing, clarity in sequencing is crucial when employing this phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

and subsequently

Replaces "afterwards" with a more formal synonym.

and thereafter

Similar to "subsequently" but implies a longer duration between events.

and following that

More explicit about the sequence of events.

and then

Simplest and most common way to indicate sequence.

and after that

More emphatic than "and then".

and in the aftermath

Suggests a consequence or result following an event.

and at a later time

Emphasizes the delay between the events.

and down the line

Implies a series of events over time.

and in due course

Suggests that the second event will happen naturally or inevitably.

and at a subsequent time

A more formal alternative to "and later".

FAQs

How can I use "and only afterwards" in a sentence?

Use "and only afterwards" to emphasize that one event happened strictly after another. For example, "The cake was baked, and only afterwards was it decorated".

What phrases are similar to "and only afterwards"?

Alternatives include "and subsequently", "and thereafter", or simply "and then" depending on the level of formality you need.

Is it always necessary to include "and" before "only afterwards"?

While not strictly grammatically required, including "and" before "only afterwards" often improves the flow and readability of the sentence, especially in less formal contexts.

Can I use "only afterwards" at the beginning of a sentence?

Yes, but it's less common and often sounds more formal or emphatic. For example, "Only afterwards did I realize my mistake".