Time order words tell us the order in which events happen. They allow us to understand the sequence of events in chronological order, from first to last. This is helpful when you’re telling a story or something that happened – whether you’re writing it down or just telling it to a friend.
Let’s talk about all the time order words in detail.
Time Order Words
Time order words signal the order in which events happen. They allow readers to understand a sequence of events. For example, “First, we measured the perfume into the beaker. Following that, we poured it into its designated bottle. Finally, we labeled the bottle for display.”
Here are the list of most common time order words with examples.
Time Order for BEFORE
- Earlier
- Formerly
- In the past
- Not long ago
- Once
- Preceding
- Previously
- Prior to
- Up until that time
- Yesterday
Time Order for FIRST
- At first
- At the beginning
- At the onset
- Before
- Commence
- Embark
- From this point
- In the first place
- Starting with
- To begin
Time Order for NEXT
- After
- After a few days
- After a while
- After that
- As soon as
- Consequently
- Following
- Henceforth
- In time
- In turn
- Later
- Momentarily
- Not long after
- Right after
- Second
- Third
- Shortly
- Since
- Soon
- Soon after
- Then
- Tomorrow
- When
- Presently
Time Order for SOMETIMES
- At times
- From time to time
- Gradually
- Occasionally
- Periodically
- Rarely
- Seldom
- Some of the time
Time Order for LAST
- Afterward
- At last
- At the end
- Eventually
- Final
- Finally
- Hereafter
- In conclusion
- In the end
- Last of all
- Later on
- Thereafter
- To conclude
- To finish
- Until
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Some Examples for Time Order Words
- We’re going to Japan at the beginning of July.
- Franco began to prepare the ground, starting with the Falange.
- Henceforth I expect you to be punctual for the meeting.
- As soon as we can afford it, we’ll move out to the suburbs.
- Periodically, Congress has made half-hearted attempts at finance reform.
- In the past, the exam had been overemphasized.
- He was cross at first, but later he relented.
- The general had served as a soldier in the earlier war.
- Let’s go to the theatre first and eat afterward.
- To conclude, I’d like to express my thanks to my family.
- To begin with, I don’t like his attitude.
- Not long ago I had read that each atom was a sort of solar system.
- Smocks were formerly worn by farm workers.
- Eventually, Roberto backed down and apologized.
- Presently, a young woman in a white coat came in.
- From this point, we can apply our usual analysis.
- She started to sing, and then the others chimed in.
- After a while, we naturally started talking about the children.
- I like to buy myself little luxuries from time to time.