INDEX:
1. ways of saying that one thing happens after another
2. at a particular time in the past
3. at a particular time in the future
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ AFTER
↑ TIME
↑ PAST
↑ FUTURE
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1. ways of saying that one thing happens after another
▷ then /ðen/ [adverb]
▪ We scraped all the old paint off the bike and then repainted it bright red.
▪ Fry the onions gently, and then add the meat and cook for a few minutes.
▪ First you need to collect all the information and make detailed notes. Then you can start to actually write your essay.
▷ next /nekst/ [adverb]
immediately after something - use this especially when the order in which things happen is important :
▪ Everyone started fighting and someone threw a bottle. I forget what happened next.
▪ Which of the candidates shall we interview next?
▪ First you need to select the text you want to move. Next, click on the ‘Move’ command at the top of the screen.
▷ after that /ˌɑːftəʳ ˈðætǁˌæf-/ [adverb]
after something happens :
▪ England had a man sent off in the first half, and after that the England team never really looked as though they could win the game.
▪ The exhaust pipe fell off the car just as we were leaving, and after that it was just one disaster after another!
2. at a particular time in the past
▷ then /ðen/ [adverb]
▪ She thought back over her early married life; everything had been so different then.
▪ They were living in the country then, on a farm.
▪ These days it’s OK for women to smoke in public, but then it was unheard of.
then and only then
not until that time
▪ Bob sat down and read the letter again slowly. Then and only then did it begin to sink in that Stella was really dead.
just then
at that exact moment
▪ I sat down at my desk and got out a pile of reports to read. Just then, the phone rang.
▷ at that/the time /ət ˌðæt, ðə ˈtaɪm/ [adverb]
at a particular period of time in the past - use this especially when you are talking about what the situation was then as compared to the present time :
▪ At that time, he was married to a woman called Jody.
▪ I was offered a job in New York, but at the time I didn’t want to move so far away from my family.
▪ The accepted view at that time was that women should remain in the home and not go out to work.
▪ I can’t remember exactly what he said, but I do remember thinking it was very funny at the time.
▷ in those days/back then /ɪn ˈðəʊz ˌdeɪz, ˌbæk ˈðen/ [adverb]
at that time in the past - use this especially when you are comparing life in the past with life in the present :
▪ We used to get paid £2 a week. That was a lot of money in those days.
▪ In those days there was no proper road, just an old stony track through the woods.
▪ Back then, most people left school at fourteen and started work.
▪ I remember thinking, back then, that I would never get married.
▷ at that point /ət ˌðæt ˈpɔɪnt/ [adverb]
at that exact time during a past event or situation :
▪ Miles got up to make his speech, and at that point several of the guests quietly slipped out of the room.
▪ I thought he was dead. At that point, everything seemed hopeless.
▷ at that moment /ət ˌðæt ˈməʊmənt/ [adverb]
at the exact time when something happened or when someone did something - use this when describing past events or telling stories :
▪ At that moment there was a knock on the door.
▪ Fortunately, Jorge appeared at that moment and was able to help us load things into the van.
just at that moment
at that exact moment
▪ Just at that moment, the police arrived.
▷ at that stage /ət ˌðæt ˈsteɪdʒ/ [adverb]
during a particular period of time in the past, although things were going to change or develop later :
▪ At that stage I lacked the experience to apply for a management post.
▪ At that stage in the inquiry, the police still hoped that Maria might be alive.
3. at a particular time in the future
▷ then /ðen/ [adverb]
▪ Wait until you’ve had your dinner, then you can go out to play.
by then
▪ Just wait until July -- all the exams will be over by then.
until then
▪ We’re not getting a new car until June, so this one will have to do us until then.
▪ We’ll probably see you again when we get to Budapest -- until then goodbye and good luck!
then and only then
not until then
▪ Both sides must forget about the past. Then and only then can there be peace.
▷ at that point /ət ˌðæt ˈpɔɪnt/ [adverb]
at the exact moment during an event or process when something will happen :
▪ At 7:45 the lights will go out in the hall, and at that point all the actors will move into their positions on the stage.
▷ at that stage /ət ˌðæt ˈsteɪdʒ/ [adverb]
at that particular time during a series of events :
▪ The exams will be finished by the end of June. At that stage you can make a decision about which subjects to study next year.
▷ by that time /baɪ ˌðæt ˈtaɪm/ [adverb]
before a particular time actually arrives :
▪ I have to go at 6 pm, but by that time we should have got through most of the work.
by which time
▪ The Connellys go to Africa in April, by which time they hope to have sold their house.