Follow vs. Follows — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 2, 2024
"Follow" is the base form of the verb used for general statements and imperatives, while "follows" is the third person singular present tense, used with he, she, or it.
Difference Between Follow and Follows
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Key Differences
"Follow" serves as the base form of the verb, applicable for commands, infinitives, and non-third person present tense forms. Whereas, "follows" specifically aligns with the third person singular present tense, used when referring to he, she, or it.
For example, in imperatives, "follow" is used to direct someone, as in instructions or guides. On the other hand, "follows" describes an action being done currently by a third person subject, such as in "She follows the rules strictly."
In progressive tenses, "follow" is used with helping verbs, like in "I am following the directions," indicating ongoing action. Conversely, "follows" cannot be used in progressive tenses and is limited to simple present statements.
The use of "follow" is broad, encompassing various grammatical constructions aside from the simple present. Whereas "follows" is strictly used when the subject of the sentence is a singular noun or pronoun in the third person. This distinction is crucial in ensuring grammatical accuracy in speech and writing.
Comparison Chart
Verb Form
Base form
Third person singular present tense
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Usage
Commands, general statements, infinitive
Specific to third person singular subjects
Example Sentence
"We follow the protocol."
"He follows the protocol."
Applicability in Tenses
Used in various tenses with helping verbs
Used only in simple present tense
Grammatical Subject
Any subject except third person singular
Specifically for third person singular subjects
Compare with Definitions
Follow
To go or come after in the same direction.
Follow the path until you reach the river.
Follows
Shows action in real-time or habit.
The cat follows her everywhere she goes.
Follow
To continue an activity or task.
Keep quiet and follow along with the group.
Follows
Indicates regularity or routine in actions.
She usually follows the same route home.
Follow
To act according to an instruction or leader.
She decided to follow her teacher's advice.
Follows
Suggests adherence to rules or guidelines.
It follows all the safety regulations.
Follow
To carry out a sequence of actions.
Follow these steps to complete the installation.
Follows
Used when a singular third person performs an action.
He follows a strict diet.
Follow
To understand or pay close attention to.
Follow along as I explain the procedure.
Follows
Used to describe a sequence or consequence.
Night follows day.
Follow
Go or come after (a person or thing proceeding ahead); move or travel behind
The men followed in another car
She went back into the house, and Ben followed her
Follows
Follows is a surname.
Follow
Come after in time or order
The rates are as follows
The six years that followed his restoration
Follows
To come or go after; proceed behind
Follow the usher to your seat.
Follow
Act according to (an instruction or precept)
He has difficulty in following written instructions
Follows
To go after in pursuit
Would follow his enemy to the ends of the earth.
Follow
Pay close attention to
I've been following this discussion closely
Follows
To keep under surveillance
The agent followed the suspect around town.
Follow
Practise (a trade or profession).
Follows
To move along the course of; take
We followed the path.
Follow
To come or go after; proceed behind
Follow the usher to your seat.
Follows
To move in the direction of; be guided by
Followed the sun westward.
Followed the signs to the zoo.
Follow
To go after in pursuit
Would follow his enemy to the ends of the earth.
Follows
To lie in the same path as
The road follows the old trading route.
Follow
To keep under surveillance
The agent followed the suspect around town.
Follows
To be parallel to
The road follows the river.
Follow
To move along the course of; take
We followed the path.
Follows
To accept the guidance, command, or leadership of
Follow a spiritual master.
Rebels who refused to follow their leader.
Follow
To move in the direction of; be guided by
Followed the sun westward.
Followed the signs to the zoo.
Follows
To adhere to; practice
Followed family traditions.
Follow
To lie in the same path as
The road follows the old trading route.
Follows
To take as a model or precedent; imitate
Followed my example and resigned.
Follow
To be parallel to
The road follows the river.
Follows
To act in agreement or compliance with; obey
Follow the rules.
Follow one's instincts.
Follow
To accept the guidance, command, or leadership of
Follow a spiritual master.
Rebels who refused to follow their leader.
Follows
To keep to or stick to
Followed the recipe.
Follow a diet.
Follow
To adhere to; practice
Followed family traditions.
Follows
To engage in (a trade or occupation); work at.
Follow
To take as a model or precedent; imitate
Followed my example and resigned.
Follows
To come after in order, time, or position
Night follows day.
Follow
To act in agreement or compliance with; obey
Follow the rules.
Follow one's instincts.
Follows
To bring something about at a later time than or as a consequence of
She followed her lecture with a question-and-answer period. The band followed its hit album with a tour.
Follow
To keep to or stick to
Followed the recipe.
Follow a diet.
Follows
To occur or be evident as a consequence of
Your conclusion does not follow your premise.
Follow
To engage in (a trade or occupation); work at.
Follows
To watch or observe closely
Followed the bird through binoculars.
Follow
To come after in order, time, or position
Night follows day.
Follows
To be attentive to; pay close heed to
Too sleepy to follow the sermon.
Follow
To bring something about at a later time than or as a consequence of
She followed her lecture with a question-and-answer period. The band followed its hit album with a tour.
Follows
To keep oneself informed of the course, progress, or fortunes of
Follow the stock market.
Followed the local teams.
Follow
To occur or be evident as a consequence of
Your conclusion does not follow your premise.
Follows
To grasp the meaning or logic of; understand
Do you follow my argument?.
Follow
To watch or observe closely
Followed the bird through binoculars.
Follows
To come, move, or take place after another person or thing in order or time.
Follow
To be attentive to; pay close heed to
Too sleepy to follow the sermon.
Follows
To occur or be evident as a consequence; result
If you ignore your diet, trouble will follow.
Follow
To keep oneself informed of the course, progress, or fortunes of
Follow the stock market.
Followed the local teams.
Follows
To grasp the meaning or reasoning of something; understand.
Follow
To grasp the meaning or logic of; understand
Do you follow my argument?.
Follows
(Games) A billiards shot in which the cue ball is struck above center so that it follows the path of the object ball after impact.
Follow
To come, move, or take place after another person or thing in order or time.
Follows
Plural of follow
Follow
To occur or be evident as a consequence; result
If you ignore your diet, trouble will follow.
Follow
To grasp the meaning or reasoning of something; understand.
Follow
(Games) A billiards shot in which the cue ball is struck above center so that it follows the path of the object ball after impact.
Follow
(ambitransitive) To go after; to pursue; to move behind in the same path or direction, especially with the intent of catching.
Follow that car!
She left the room and I followed.
Follow
(ambitransitive) To go or come after in a sequence.
B follows A in the alphabet.
We both ordered the soup, with roast beef to follow.
Follow
(transitive) To carry out (orders, instructions, etc.).
Follow these instructions to the letter.
Follow
(transitive) To live one's life according to (religion, teachings, etc).
Follow
(transitive) To understand, to pay attention to.
Do you follow me?
Follow
(transitive) To watch, to keep track of (reports of) some event or person.
I followed the incumbent throughout the election.
My friends don't regularly follow the news.
Follow
To subscribe to see content from an account on a social media platform.
If you want to see more of our articles, follow us on Twitter.
Follow
(ambitransitive) To be a logical consequence of something.
It follows that if two numbers are not equal then one is larger than the other.
If you don't practise proper hygiene, illness is sure to follow.
Follow
(transitive) To walk in, as a road or course; to attend upon closely, as a profession or calling.
Follow
In billiards and similar games, a stroke causing a ball to follow another ball after hitting it.
A follow shot
Follow
(social media) The act of following another user's online activity.
Follow
To go or come after; to move behind in the same path or direction; hence, to go with (a leader, guide, etc.); to accompany; to attend.
It waves me forth again; I'll follow it.
Follow
To endeavor to overtake; to go in pursuit of; to chase; to pursue; to prosecute.
I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them.
Follow
To accept as authority; to adopt the opinions of; to obey; to yield to; to take as a rule of action; as, to follow good advice.
Approve the best, and follow what I approve
Follow peace with all men.
It is most agreeable to some men to follow their reason; and to others to follow their appetites.
Follow
To copy after; to take as an example.
We had rather follow the perfections of them whom we like not, than in defects resemble them whom we love.
Follow
To succeed in order of time, rank, or office.
Follow
To result from, as an effect from a cause, or an inference from a premise.
Follow
To watch, as a receding object; to keep the eyes fixed upon while in motion; to keep the mind upon while in progress, as a speech, musical performance, etc.; also, to keep up with; to understand the meaning, connection, or force of, as of a course of thought or argument.
He followed with his eyes the flitting shade.
Follow
To walk in, as a road or course; to attend upon closely, as a profession or calling.
O, had I but followed the arts!
O Antony! I have followed thee to this.
Follow
To go or come after; - used in the various senses of the transitive verb: To pursue; to attend; to accompany; to be a result; to imitate.
Follow
The art or process of following; specif., in some games, as billiards, a stroke causing a ball to follow another ball after hitting it. Also used adjectively; as, follow shot.
Follow
To travel behind, go after, come after;
The ducklings followed their mother around the pond
Please follow the guide through the museum
Follow
Be later in time;
Tuesday always follows Monday
Follow
Come as a logical consequence; follow logically;
It follows that your assertion is false
The theorem falls out nicely
Follow
Travel along a certain course;
Follow the road
Follow the trail
Follow
Act in accordance with someone's rules, commands, or wishes;
He complied with my instructions
You must comply or else!
Follow these simple rules
Abide by the rules
Follow
Come after in time, as a result;
A terrible tsunami followed the earthquake
Follow
Behave in accordance or in agreement with;
Follow a pattern
Follow my example
Follow
Be next;
Mary plays best, with John and Sue following
Follow
Choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans;
She followed the feminist movement
The candidate espouses Republican ideals
Follow
To bring something about at a later time than;
She followed dinner with a brandy
He followed his lecture with a question and answer period
Follow
Imitate in behavior; take as a model;
Teenagers follow their friends in everything
Follow
Follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something;
We must follow closely the economic development is Cuba
Trace the student's progress
Follow
Follow with the eyes or the mind;
Keep an eye on the baby, please!
The world is watching Sarajevo
She followed the men with the binoculars
Follow
Be the successor (of);
Carter followed Ford
Will Charles succeed to the throne?
Follow
Perform an accompaniment to;
The orchestra could barely follow the frequent pitch changes of the soprano
Follow
Keep informed;
He kept up on his country's foreign policies
Follow
To be the product or result;
Melons come from a vine
Understanding comes from experience
Follow
Accept and follow the leadership or command or guidance of;
Let's follow our great helmsman!
She followed a guru for years
Follow
Adhere to or practice;
These people still follow the laws of their ancient religion
Follow
Work in a specific place, with a specific subject, or in a specific function;
He is a herpetologist
She is our resident philosopher
Follow
Keep under surveillance;
The police had been following him for weeks but they could not prove his involvement in the bombing
Follow
Follow in or as if in pursuit;
The police car pursued the suspected attacker
Her bad deed followed her and haunted her dreams all her life
Follow
Grasp the meaning;
Can you follow her argument?
When he lectures, I cannot follow
Follow
Keep to;
Stick to your principles
Stick to the diet
Common Curiosities
When should I use follows instead of follow?
Use follows when the subject of the sentence is a third person singular like he, she, or it.
How is follows different from follow?
Follows is the third person singular present tense form, used specifically with he, she, or it.
Can I use follows in a command?
No, follows is not used in commands; use follow instead.
How does the usage of follow change in different tenses?
Follow changes forms based on tense, such as following in the present progressive.
What are examples of sentences with follows?
"She follows the guidelines." or "He follows me to the store."
Is follow used in questions?
Yes, follow is used in questions, especially when not referring to third person singular.
Can follows be used in the past tense?
No, in the past tense, the correct form is followed.
What does follow mean in a verb form?
Follow is the base form of the verb, used generally except in third person singular present tense.
Is follows used with plural nouns?
No, follows is not used with plural nouns; use follow instead.
Does the use of follow or follows affect the meaning of a sentence?
Yes, it affects the grammatical correctness and can subtly change the sentence's meaning based on tense and subject.
What are examples of sentences with follow?
"We follow the guidelines." or "Follow me to the store."
What is the infinitive form of follows?
The infinitive form is to follow.
How can I learn to use follow and follows correctly?
Practice by making sentences with both, focusing on the subject and tense.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
