SOUNDING NATURAL in English: ... and afterWARDS… - Susan’s Student Tips

Many of my fluent English students make mistakes that make their English sound UNnatural. 

One of these is when narrating events, they tend to say ... and AFTER I went shopping… instead of saying ... and afterWARDS I went shopping.
 
AfterWARDS…  means ‘after THAT’ and it avoids having to repeat what was mentioned earlier:
 
I brushed my teeth and after brushing my teeth I went to bed.
 
To avoid repetition we say:
I brushed my teeth and afterWARDS I went to bed.

So next time you narrate a series of events, remember to say:
First…
Then…
AfterWARDS…
Finally…
 
and your English will sound natural.
 
I hope you find this useful.
Susan