as they left

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "as they left" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an action or event that occurs simultaneously with or immediately after a group of people departing from a place. Example: "As they left the party, they exchanged goodbyes and promised to meet again soon."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

As soon as they left.

The New Yorker

The alarm sounded only as they left.

The New York Times

As they left, the company weakened.

The New Yorker

Mitchell gloated as they left the library.

The New Yorker

Khartoum's warplanes bombed them as they left.

The New Yorker

All were killed as they left.

The New York Times

He trailed them as they left.

The New Yorker

As they left, their photo was taken.

The New York Times

"See you at the recall!" they shouted as they left.

The New York Times

And as they left, the gate was slammed behind them.

The New Yorker

The jurors said little as they left the courtroom.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "as they left" to clearly indicate the timing of an event relative to a group's departure. It creates a concise and direct connection between the departure and the subsequent action.

Common error

Avoid shifting tenses when using "as they left". Ensure that the verbs in both clauses (the one describing the leaving and the one describing the subsequent action) are appropriately aligned in the past tense to maintain clarity and grammatical consistency.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "as they left" functions as a temporal conjunction, connecting two events by indicating that one occurred simultaneously with, or immediately after, the departure of a group of people. Ludwig provides numerous examples of this usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Science

10%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Reference

2%

Academia

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "as they left" serves as a temporal conjunction, effectively linking a group's departure to a subsequent event. Ludwig AI affirms its grammatical correctness and widespread usability. It's prevalent in news and media, with neutral register making it versatile for various contexts. To ensure clarity, maintain consistent tense usage when employing this phrase. For alternatives, consider phrases like "upon their departure" or "when they departed", which offer similar meaning with slight variations in tone. This comprehensive analysis provides a clear understanding of how to effectively use "as they left" in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

just after leaving

This explicitly indicates the immediacy of the following event relative to their departure.

as they exited

This substitutes 'left' with 'exited', providing a slightly more formal tone.

when they departed

This uses a simple past tense verb and a conjunction to indicate the time of leaving.

following their departure

This uses 'following' to indicate that something happened immediately after they left.

upon their departure

This alternative uses a more formal noun phrase to indicate the action of leaving.

subsequent to their exit

Using 'subsequent' makes the timing of the following event more clearly sequential.

after their exit

This phrase emphasizes the act of exiting, using 'exit' as a noun.

at the time of their departure

This phrase adds more emphasis to the specific moment when they left.

on their way out

This describes the action of leaving in terms of their movement outwards.

with their leaving

This alternative uses a gerund phrase to focus on the action of leaving itself.

FAQs

How can I use "as they left" in a sentence?

Use "as they left" to describe an event that occurred simultaneously or immediately after a group of individuals departed from a place. For instance, "As they left the building, the alarm sounded."

What phrases are similar to "as they left"?

Alternatives include "upon their departure", "when they departed", or "following their departure", each offering a slightly different nuance while conveying the same basic timing.

Is it correct to say "as they were leaving" instead of "as they left"?

Yes, "as they were leaving" is also correct. It uses the past continuous tense to emphasize the ongoing nature of the action of leaving, whereas "as they left" is a simple past tense that focuses on the completed action of departure.

What's the difference between "as they left" and "after they left"?

"As they left" implies a closer temporal connection between the act of leaving and the subsequent event. "After they left" indicates that the event happened sometime following their departure, without specifying how immediately it followed.