After vs Following

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

After

Top 1,000 (very common) A1 preposition

Following

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 adjective

	After	Following
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈɑːftə(r)/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈæftər/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈfɒləʊɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈfɑːləʊɪŋ/"]/
Meaning	Later in time than something else.	To come after something or someone.
Example	We will go to the park after lunch.	Answer the following questions.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	A1	A2
Part of speech	preposition	adjective
Collocations	after school, after work, after dinner, after the event	following instructions, following someone, following a trend
Antonyms	before	preceding, leading
Common mistakes	Using 'after' with past tenses incorrectly, e.g., 'after I ate' should be linked with a past event., Confusing 'after' with 'before' in timeline contexts., Misplacing 'after' in a sentence, leading to unclear meaning.	Confused with 'preceeding' - using 'following' incorrectly to describe something that comes before., Using 'follow' instead of 'following' in adjective form.
Usage notes	Used to indicate time. Common in both spoken and written English. Avoid using in very formal contexts without a clear time reference.	Use 'following' to indicate something that comes next in time or order. It's appropriate in various contexts, including writing and conversation, but avoid using it in overly casual settings when referring to people.

See it in real clips

"Here's somebody who has the answer." I'll follow you anywhere, Mr Gump.

Sherlock › S1 E1

One of them could have been following him, but...

Succession › S1 E1

following a major medical incident...

"Here's somebody who has the answer." I'll follow you anywhere, Mr Gump.

Sherlock › S1 E1

One of them could have been following him, but...

Following

Frequently asked questions: After vs Following

What's the difference between After and Following?

After: Later in time than something else. Following: To come after something or someone.

Which is more advanced: After and Following?

Following is the highest level, at A2, on the CEFR scale.

Are After and Following the same CEFR level?

After: A1, Following: A2 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are After and Following?

After: preposition, Following: adjective.

Can you show an example of each?

After: We will go to the park after lunch. Following: Answer the following questions.

Can I use After and Following interchangeably?

Not always. After and Following are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.