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So you have some curiosity about time order words? The short answer is that time order words establish the sequence in which events happen and are some of the most important words in the English language.
Time Order Words
What are Time Order Words?
Time order words set the scene in academic writing as well as fiction. They are the compass and the time keeper to help keep the listener on track. The most popular place to find time order words is at the start of a paragraph, but they can come anywhere in a sentence.
So maybe you’re still wondering why time order words are important? They provide the context and grounding in the English language. Without them, you are most likely to be a little bit lost and possible assume something that is not true or part of the story.
Time Order Words List
Here are some examples broken down into categories to help make some sense of time order words.
BEFORE
- Earlier
- Formerly
- In the past
- Not long ago
- Once
- Preceding
- Previously
- Prior to
- Up until that time
- Yesterday
FIRST
- At first
- At the beginning
- At the onset
- Before
- Commence
- Embark
- From this point
- In the first place
- Starting with
- To begin
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
SOMETIMES
- At times
- From time to time
- Gradually
- Occasionally
- Periodically
- Rarely
- Seldom
- Some of the time
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
Time Order Sentence Examples
- In the past, I had been taught to bake cookies.
- At first, I was a bit nervous about speaking in front of the committee.
- The maiden has learned from her earlier experiences.
- Before they became trendy, overalls were formerly only worn by farm workers.
- We’re going to Thailand at the beginning of the winter to avoid the snow.
- Mary began to prepare the meal, starting with peeling the potatoes and carrots.
- Henceforth you must pay a toll to cross this bridge.
- If beaches are your jam, then you must go surfing with me.
- After a while, the conversation turns to the meaning of life.
- I like to eat ice cream for breakfast, from time to time.
- Let’s go to the concert first and then eat dinner afterward.
- To conclude, I agree with everything everyone has said here tonight.
- To begin with, I’m not always so scared of the dark.
- Not long ago I learned that most sharks are not predatory towards humans.
- As soon as I save up enough money, I’m taking a trip to Mexico.
- Periodically, I don’t like being around people and need to be alone.
- Eventually, the sun rose and everything was back to normal.
- Presently, we have enough grain to supply the farm for the rest of the month.
- From this point, let’s count our blessings and let go of the losses.
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