Afterward?

[Ashraful Haque]

"Should I eat the cake? I think I should since I have a craving. But I know that I'll regret it afterward."

Is it clear from the context that 'afterward' here means after eating the cake?

 

[emsr2d2]

Yes, that's clear. Note that AmE favours "afterward" but BrE speakers would use "afterwards".

 

[GoesStation]

Yes, that's clear. Note that AmE favours "afterward" but BrE speakers would use "afterwards".

I'd say afterwards too.

 

[emsr2d2]

That's why I said "favours" rather than claiming that all AmE speakers use it. I took the following info from this website.

"There's no difference in meaning between "afterward" and "afterwards," ... In American English, "afterward" is more common, whereas in British English and Canadian English, "afterwards" is."

 

[Ashraful Haque]

That's why I said "favours" rather than claiming that all AmE speakers use it. I took the following info from this website.

"There's no difference in meaning between "afterward" and "afterwards," ... In American English, "afterward" is more common, whereas in British English and Canadian English, "afterwards" is."

I've read the same post but in most American movies/shows I hear afterwards/towards/backwards instead of afterward.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I've read the same post but in most American movies/shows I hear afterwards/towards/backwards instead of afterward.

In the US we swing both ways:

afterward/afterwards
toward/towards
anyway/anyways
beside/besides
regard/regards