on leaving

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "on leaving" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it to describe an action that happened just after someone or something departed. For example, "On leaving the house, we saw a beautiful rainbow in the sky."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

On leaving: "Retire?

The Guardian - Sport

On leaving.

The New York Times - Sports

They're not keen on leaving.

The New York Times

Peckish on leaving?

The Guardian - Travel

On leaving school.

The Guardian - Music

Career: Co-founded Genesis on leaving school.

The Guardian - Music

Still, people insist on leaving the house.

The New York Times - Health

But on leaving he drops his wallet.

The Guardian - Film

On leaving Cambridge, Peter became a stockbroker.

The Guardian - Sport

Immediately on leaving the tunnel, take I-93 North.

Harvard University

On leaving the embassy, he spoke to a large rally.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "on leaving" to clearly indicate that an action occurred immediately after someone or something departed from a place or situation. For example, "On leaving the meeting, she felt a sense of relief."

Common error

Avoid using "on leaving" to describe events that happen significantly later after the departure. Instead, use "after leaving" or "some time after leaving" to indicate a longer duration.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "on leaving" functions as a prepositional phrase that modifies a verb or clause, indicating the timing of an action or event. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and commonly used to denote immediacy. For instance, "On leaving the building, she tripped."

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Academia

25%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Science

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "on leaving" is a grammatically sound and frequently used prepositional phrase that serves to indicate an event or action occurring immediately after someone departs. As Ludwig AI suggests, its usage is widespread across various sources, with a neutral register suitable for both formal and informal writing. To maintain clarity, ensure the action described happens in close temporal proximity to the act of leaving and be mindful of possible alternatives like "upon departure" or "after leaving" for subtle variations in meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

upon departure

Uses a more formal synonym for "leaving".

after departing

Emphasizes the action of departing as a completed event.

subsequent to leaving

Highlights the sequence of events following the departure.

following the exit

More formal and emphasizes the action of exiting.

as one departs

Describes the action as it happens.

when exiting

Focuses on the moment of exiting.

post-departure

A concise, slightly more technical way to express the same concept.

after the leave-taking

More elaborate and focuses on the act of saying goodbye.

at the time of departure

Specifies the precise moment of leaving.

with the act of leaving

Highlights the action of leaving itself.

FAQs

How can I use "on leaving" in a sentence?

"On leaving" is used to describe something that happens immediately after someone departs from a place or situation. For example, "On leaving the office, I realized I had forgotten my phone."

What is a formal alternative to "on leaving"?

A more formal alternative is "upon departure". For example, "Upon departure, all passengers must present their boarding passes."

Is there a difference between "on leaving" and "after leaving"?

"On leaving" suggests the action happens immediately after departure, while "after leaving" can imply a slightly longer time frame. For instance, "On leaving the store, he dropped his wallet" implies it happened right away, whereas "After leaving the store, he realized he'd been overcharged" suggests a short delay.

What phrases are similar to "on leaving" that I can use for variety?

Other similar phrases include "upon exiting", "subsequent to leaving", or "following the departure", all of which indicate a temporal relationship immediately after a departure.