upon waking up

USAGE SUMMARY

'upon waking up' is correct and usable in written English.
It typically is used when referring to the time after someone has just woken up, such as in the sentence: "Upon waking up, I made myself some breakfast."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

38 human-written examples

Upon waking up, he called Wioletta.

The New Yorker

"Almost every day upon waking up and having to shoot.

The New Yorker

I know it's how I check what countries I've been in upon waking up after a particularly long bender.

The Guardian - Sport

There were a few tears shed upon waking up this morning – we feel low, and ashamed to be British.

The Guardian

During REM, their brains were able to integrate unassociated information so that, upon waking up, they were more adept at solving problems they had been primed with earlier.

The New Yorker

As a child, this was to be taken upon waking up from a nap during the hottest hours of a summer's day.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

22 human-written examples

She passed out upon reaching the hospital and remembered waking up with a baby girl by her side.

BMC Women's Health

The narrative arcs of nights spent drinking are sometimes self-imposed (pub crawl begins here, ends there), sometimes forced upon us (I woke up in Ronkonkoma!).

The New Yorker

Even David Cameron, the Conservative Prime Minister, has weighed in, urging his colleagues in the G8 to tackle tax avoidance and calling upon multinationals to "wake up and smell the coffee".

The New Yorker

Then, another unexpected feeling came upon me when I woke up on Wednesday and read the news.

Huffington Post

Meanwhile, in Once Upon A Time, a woman wakes up in a strange small town where fairytales are real.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "upon waking up" to clearly indicate an action or event that occurs immediately after someone wakes from sleep. This phrasing adds a touch of formality to your writing.

Common error

While grammatically correct, "upon waking up" can sound overly formal in casual conversation or informal writing. Consider using simpler alternatives like "after waking up" or "when I woke up" for a more natural tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "upon waking up" functions as a prepositional phrase acting as an adverbial modifier. It describes when an action takes place, specifically immediately after the act of waking. Ludwig examples show it introducing actions or states experienced after waking.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "upon waking up" functions as a prepositional phrase specifying when an action occurs immediately after waking. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability in written English. While common across various sources, its use leans towards neutral to formal contexts. When writing, remember that it is a clear and concise way to describe the action taken immediately after waking and can give a more sophisticated tone to your writing. In more informal instances you can opt for "after waking up" or "when I woke up". You can use "upon waking up" to establish a temporal relationship and to set the scene or provide context for a narrative or description.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

after waking

Slightly less formal alternative using "after" instead of "upon".

on waking

More concise, using "on" to indicate the action occurring at the moment of waking.

after awakening

Uses a more formal synonym for "waking", suitable for sophisticated writing.

when I woke up

Expresses the action using a clause specifying the subject and verb.

as soon as I woke up

Emphasizes the immediacy of the action following waking.

immediately after waking up

Adds emphasis to the timing of the action after waking.

right after waking up

Informal alternative emphasizing the short time frame.

at the moment of waking

Highlights the specific instance of waking as the point of action.

getting out of bed

Focuses more on the action of leaving the bed, rather than just waking.

after sleep

General reference to the time after sleep, rather than the precise moment of waking.

FAQs

How can I use "upon waking up" in a sentence?

You can use "upon waking up" to describe an action that immediately follows waking. For example, "Upon waking up, I checked my phone".

What's the difference between "upon waking up" and "after waking up"?

"Upon waking up" emphasizes the immediacy of the action, while "after waking up" ("after waking up") is slightly less formal and can refer to a period shortly after waking.

Which is more formal, "upon waking up" or "when I woke up"?

"Upon waking up" is generally considered more formal than "when I woke up" ("when I woke up"). The latter is a more common and conversational phrase.

What are some alternatives to "upon waking up"?

Alternatives include "on waking" ("on waking"), "after awakening" ("after awakening"), or "as soon as I woke up" ("as soon as I woke up"), depending on the desired level of formality and emphasis.