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For today’s blog entry, I have another expression for you that is used a lot: “after all”. It is used when we want to give a reason for something, and the reason is very obvious or easy to understand. For example:

If our daughter wants to get married, we can’t stop her. She is a grown woman after all.

It’s the CEO’s right to sell the company if he wants to. After all, it is his company.

A: Wow, that Tim Burton movie was so weird. I didn’t expect that.

B: I don’t know why you’re so surprised. It is a Tim Burton movie after all.

We can also use “after all” to talk about the final part of a situation when the situation has changed. For example:

At first Caroline said she would come to the party, but she’s not going to come after all.

I know I said I would help you move this weekend, but I can’t do it after all. My boss just told me I have to go on a business trip on Friday.

At first, everyone in the office thought the new boss would be really strict, but he turned out to be a really nice guy after all.

In the case of the first meaning, “after all” can be place at the beginning or at the end of the sentence but , in the case of the second meaning, it is always placed at the end of the sentence.