follow
follows
following
followed
Follow means to go after or to understand. Regular verb: follow-followed-followed.
Meanings
- To go after
- To understand
- To obey or observe
Common Collocations
follow instructions
follow up
follow through
follow suit
Tip for Learners
Follow up means check on progress. "I'll follow up next week."
Present Simple
| I | follow |
| you | follow |
| he/she/it | follows |
| we | follow |
| they | follow |
Examples - Present Simple
- I follow the news every morning.
- You follow a strict diet.
- She follows her heart in everything.
- We follow the company guidelines.
- They follow us on social media.
Present Continuous
| I | am following |
| you | are following |
| he/she/it | is following |
| we | are following |
| they | are following |
Examples - Present Continuous
- I am following a new fitness programme.
- You are following the wrong path.
- He is following in his father's footsteps.
- We are following developments closely.
- They are following us everywhere.
Present Perfect
| I | have followed |
| you | have followed |
| he/she/it | has followed |
| we | have followed |
| they | have followed |
Examples - Present Perfect
- I have followed this team for twenty years.
- You have followed the instructions perfectly.
- She has followed her dreams relentlessly.
- We have followed the recipe exactly.
- They have followed the same tradition for generations.
Present Perfect Continuous
| I | have been following |
| you | have been following |
| he/she/it | has been following |
| we | have been following |
| they | have been following |
Examples - Present Perfect Continuous
- I have been following this case for months.
- You have been following the wrong advice.
- He has been following her career with interest.
- We have been following the updates closely.
- They have been following us since we left.
Past Simple
| I | followed |
| you | followed |
| he/she/it | followed |
| we | followed |
| they | followed |
Examples - Past Simple
- I followed her advice and it worked.
- You followed the map incorrectly.
- He followed her into the building.
- We followed the river downstream.
- They followed the rules to the letter.
Past Continuous
| I | was following |
| you | were following |
| he/she/it | was following |
| we | were following |
| they | were following |
Examples - Past Continuous
- I was following the conversation carefully.
- You were following the wrong car.
- She was following a lead on the story.
- We were following the debate closely.
- They were following us through the city.
Past Perfect
| I | had followed |
| you | had followed |
| he/she/it | had followed |
| we | had followed |
| they | had followed |
Examples - Past Perfect
- I had followed the procedure before you arrived.
- You had followed the signs correctly.
- He had followed her for years before they met.
- We had followed their advice previously.
- They had followed the tradition for decades.
Past Perfect Continuous
| I | had been following |
| you | had been following |
| he/she/it | had been following |
| we | had been following |
| they | had been following |
Examples - Past Perfect Continuous
- I had been following the story for weeks.
- You had been following the trail for hours.
- She had been following his work for years.
- We had been following the wrong strategy.
- They had been following us since morning.
Future Simple
| I | will follow |
| you | will follow |
| he/she/it | will follow |
| we | will follow |
| they | will follow |
Examples - Future Simple
- I will follow your lead on this.
- You will follow the signs to the exit.
- She will follow up with you tomorrow.
- We will follow the standard procedure.
- They will follow the new guidelines.
Future Continuous
| I | will be following |
| you | will be following |
| he/she/it | will be following |
| we | will be following |
| they | will be following |
Examples - Future Continuous
- I will be following the election results closely.
- You will be following a new curriculum next year.
- He will be following developments from abroad.
- We will be following a different approach.
- They will be following us throughout the tour.
Future Perfect
| I | will have followed |
| you | will have followed |
| he/she/it | will have followed |
| we | will have followed |
| they | will have followed |
Examples - Future Perfect
- I will have followed all the steps by then.
- You will have followed the course to completion.
- She will have followed up on everything.
- We will have followed through on our promises.
- They will have followed our progress carefully.
Future Perfect Continuous
| I | will have been following |
| you | will have been following |
| he/she/it | will have been following |
| we | will have been following |
| they | will have been following |
Examples - Future Perfect Continuous
- I will have been following this band for decades.
- You will have been following the diet for months.
- He will have been following her career for years.
- We will have been following this method for a while.
- They will have been following the protocol strictly.