After or later

When do you use 'after' and 'later'? Find out more about the differences below!

'Later' is an adjective. It is used to talk about something happening after a time you have mentioned.

"She is going to catch a later train."

‘Later’ can be an adverb too. It means at a time in the future, or after the time you have mentioned.

"He will be back later."

'After' can also be an adverb. It means later than someone or something else.

"He arrived at noon and his sister arrived soon after."

'After' is usually a preposition meaning that something will follow in time, place or order.

"Let's go for a swim after lunch."

‘After’ can also be used as a conjunction to indicate that something occurred later than another event.

"Three months after they left Australia, they settled in the UK."