Vocabulary for Time

A. One thine before another
- Before I went to work, I fed the cat.
- Before going to work, I ran a mile. [formal/written style]
- It was nice to be in Mexico City. Previously I'd been to Cancun and Guadalajara
[fairly formal; less formal : Before that, I...]
- I was in the office by 2:30. Earlier I was out. [less formal: Before that, I...]
- The dodgers are a Los Angeles baseball team. Formerly they were the Brooklyn Dodgers. [at an earlier time]

B. Things happening at the same time
- While I waited, I read the newspaper. [more formal: While waiting, I read..; the waiting and reading happened together]
- As I was driving to work, I saw an accident. [As is about the same as while.]
- I saw her just as she was turning the corner. [simultaneously; at that precise moment]
- During the war, I lived in Canada. [does not specify how long]
- Throughout the war, food was rationed. [from beginning to end]
- Whenever I see a sentimental movie, I can't help crying. [every time]

C. Onething after another
- After I locked up, I went to bed. [more formal: After locking up...]
- First we went to the movies. After that, we went out for coffee.
- He had a stroke and was rushed to the hospital. He did soon afterward. [In these two examples, after that and afterward are interchangeable.]
- Following my visit to Beijing, I bought lots of books about China. [fairly formal]

D. TIme when
When I'm rich, I'll buy a yacht. [Note; not "When I will be rich..."]
As soon as we finish packing, we can leave. [immediately after]
Once we finish packing, we can go get some coffee. [after, but less specific]
The moment/The minute I saw his face, I knew I'd met him before.

E. Connecting two periods or events
Dinner will take about an hour, In the meantime, relax and have a drink. [between now and dinner]
The new computers are arriving soon. Till then, we'll just use the old ones.[informal for Until then]
By the time I retire, I will have worked here for 26 years. [note: not "..I will work here for 26 years."]