What does thereafter mean?
Word: Thereafter
Part of Speech: Adverb
Meaning: Thereafter means from that time on, or following the event just mentioned.
How do you spell thereafter?
Syllables: there - af - ter
Tricky part: The quiet e in the middle has to stay even though you cannot hear it. Pupils who write the word as it sounds end up with therafter.
Watch out for: therafter, theirafter
Memory tip: Here and there both finish with a quiet e. Keep that quiet e in place and the word holds its full shape.
Thereafter in a sentence
Example 1: Meera joined the school choir in Class 4 and thereafter sang at every assembly.
Example 2: The rain stopped at noon, and thereafter the cricket match ran smoothly.
Example 3: The bus leaves the city at seven and stops only once thereafter.
Fun Fact
Thereafter is a very old word. Old English already had it, in a slightly different spelling, more than a thousand years ago.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
thereafter
a) subsequently
b) afterwards
c) beforehand
d) meanwhile
Show answer
c) beforehand. Beforehand points to the time ahead of an event, while thereafter points to the time following it.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
therea_t_r
a) f, a
b) v, e
c) f, e
d) f, o
Show answer
c) f, e. The ending is spelt just like the ending of the plain word after.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) nevertheless
b) moreovor
c) thereafter
d) furthermore
Show answer
b) moreovor. Moreover ends in er, like over, the word it contains.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
featetrhre
a) thereafter
b) afterwards
c) therefore
d) thereabouts
Show answer
a) thereafter. Only one of the four uses all ten letters, with its two t's and three e's.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Asha moved to Jaipur in 2020 and thereafter walked to school every day. When did the daily walk begin?
a) on the day she left Jaipur
b) long before her move to Jaipur
c) once she had moved to Jaipur
d) only during her move to Jaipur
Show answer
c) once she had moved to Jaipur
2. Thereafter sounds most at home in which of these?
a) a birthday greeting
b) a note to a friend
c) a quick text message
d) a formal report
Show answer
d) a formal report
