follow
A1Neutral, formal and informal
Definition
Meaning
To go or come after (someone or something); to move or travel behind.
To act according to (instructions, advice, or a principle); to understand the meaning or logic of (an argument, story, etc.); to be a consequence or result of something; to take an active interest in (e.g., a sports team, celebrity).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
‘Follow’ can describe physical movement, mental comprehension, temporal sequence, or adherence to a principle/instruction. The intransitive form can mean ‘come after in sequence’. In social media contexts, ‘follow’ has a specific meaning of subscribing to a user’s content.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core usage. In social media, both use ‘follow’. In the context of sports, BrE might say ‘support’ where AmE uses ‘follow’ for a less committed interest. AmE more commonly uses ‘follow through’ in sporting/physical contexts.
Connotations
Equally neutral. In business, ‘follow-up’ (noun/verb) is standard in both.
Frequency
Extremely high frequency in both dialects. Slightly higher in AmE for ‘follow-up’ as a noun (e.g., ‘send a follow-up’).
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
follow [object]follow [object] + [adverb/preposition] (e.g., follow into, follow from)It follows that...as followsVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “follow suit”
- “follow in someone's footsteps”
- “follow your nose”
- “follow through”
- “a hard act to follow”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
‘Please follow the new protocol.’ ‘We need to follow up with the client.’
Academic
‘The results follow a normal distribution.’ ‘The argument follows logically from the premise.’
Everyday
‘Follow me to the kitchen.’ ‘I can't follow this film's plot.’
Technical
In computing: ‘The program will follow the execution path.’ In social media: ‘The algorithm decides who to follow.’
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Could you follow me to the office, please?
- I don't quite follow your logic.
- Which team do you follow?
American English
- Follow me to the back of the store.
- If demand falls, a price drop follows.
- You should follow the directions on the package.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable. ‘Following’ is not used as a standard adverb.
American English
- Not applicable. ‘Following’ is not used as a standard adverb.
adjective
British English
- The following day was rainy.
- Please refer to the following page.
American English
- Answer the following questions.
- The following items are on sale.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The dog will follow you home.
- Please follow the teacher.
- Spring follows winter.
- It's important to follow the safety instructions.
- The sequel follows the original story.
- Do you follow any sports teams?
- Several important conclusions follow from this discovery.
- The company's profits fell, following a difficult quarter.
- She decided to follow her passion and become an artist.
- The plot was so convoluted that only the most attentive viewers could follow it.
- His resignation followed mounting pressure from shareholders.
- A period of economic instability followed in the wake of the crisis.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a line of ducklings FOLLOWing their mother. FOLL-OW sounds like ‘full low’ – they stay FULLY LOW and behind her.
Conceptual Metaphor
UNDERSTANDING IS SEEING (I see what you mean → I follow you). TIME/SEQUENCE IS MOTION ALONG A PATH (the days that follow).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not always ‘следовать’. ‘Follow the news’ = ‘следить за новостями’, not ‘следовать новостям’. ‘It follows that...’ = ‘Отсюда следует, что...’, a logical connection, not physical.
- Avoid using ‘follow’ for ‘accompany’ in a social sense (‘I accompanied her’ not *‘I followed her’ unless you’re secretly tracking her).
Common Mistakes
- *‘I am following after you.’ (Redundant – ‘follow’ already means ‘go after’)
- *‘He follows to play football.’ (Incorrect pattern – correct: ‘He follows football.’ meaning he is a fan)
- *‘The solution follows of the problem.’ (Incorrect preposition – correct: ‘follows from’)
Practice
Quiz
In the sentence 'A lengthy discussion ______ the initial proposal,' which meaning of 'follow' is used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is primarily dynamic (e.g., 'He followed the car'). However, in the sense of 'understand' (e.g., 'I follow your argument') or 'be a fan of' (e.g., 'I follow that band'), it can be considered stative.
'Follow' is neutral and general. 'Chase' implies speed and intent to catch, often in a hostile context. 'Pursue' is more formal and can be used for physical chasing or metaphorically (e.g., pursuing a goal or career).
'As follows' is a fixed phrase used to introduce a list or explanation. It is always singular ('follows') regardless of what comes next. Example: 'The steps are as follows: first, open the app; second...'
Yes, for dynamic actions. 'She is following the suspect.' For stative meanings (understand, be a fan), continuous forms are less common but possible in contexts of ongoing engagement: 'I'm following the news closely.' 'I've been following her career for years.'
Collections
Part of a collection
Daily Verbs
A1 · 50 words · Essential action words used in everyday conversation.
Media and Communication
B1 · 50 words · Language for discussing media and communication.