Follow by

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Follow by" is not correct in standard written English. It should be "Followed by" when indicating a sequence or something that comes next. Example: "The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session." Alternative expressions include "Subsequent to" and "After."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Follow by pouring the Ribena syrup over it.

WikiHow

Follow by drinking 8 oz (240 ml) of liquid.

WikiHow

Follow by rolling in the flour to coat.

WikiHow

Follow by rinsing the parts that are exposed with water.

WikiHow

Follow by rinsing with hot soapy water for full removal.

WikiHow

The following results follow by Theorems 14 and 16. (Jensen type inequality).

Journal of Inequalities and Applications

From Lemma 5, the following corollaries follow by taking the limits SNR→0 and SNR→∞, respectively.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

"But I decided to follow by leading.

The New York Times

Used fuel would follow by 2010.

The New York Times

Exclusive content will follow by the end of the year.

The New York Times

Actual tightening may follow by the end of the year.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Reserve the active form "Follow by" strictly for mathematical or logical proofs where the results 'follow by' a specific theorem or method.

Common error

Writers often mistakenly use "Follow by" as a sequence marker (e.g. 'Stir the mixture, follow by adding eggs'). In standard English, this should be 'followed by' because the adding of eggs is the thing that follows the stirring. Only use the active verb 'follow' when the subject is performing the following, like 'The children follow by diving underwater'.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "Follow by" primarily functions as an intended passive sequence indicator that is missing its auxiliary verb and past participle marker. According to Ludwig AI, it is often a typo for "followed by". However, in technical disciplines, particularly mathematics and logic, it functions as an active verb phrase where 'follow' means 'to result from' or 'to be proven via'.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

35%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Social Media

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

A close look at the examples provided by Ludwig reveals a linguistic split for the phrase "Follow by". While Ludwig AI correctly identifies it as a common error for the passive "followed by" in general writing, the phrase has a legitimate active voice existence in scientific and mathematical literature. In these contexts, authors write that conclusions 'follow by Theorem X', meaning they are logically derived from it. In instructional formats like WikiHow, it is often used as a shorthand imperative. However, for most professional and formal writing, you should use "followed by" to ensure grammatical accuracy and clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Followed by

Uses the correct passive voice construction to indicate something that comes next in a sequence.

Subsequent to

Provides a more formal prepositional alternative to denote following events.

Succeeded by

Indicates replacement or formal sequence, often used for positions or titles.

After which

Creates a clearer relative clause to connect two sequential actions.

Followed with

Focuses on the accompaniment of the next step rather than just the order.

Then

A simple and direct adverb used to transition between steps in a list.

Followed up by

Used when the subsequent action is a response or a second phase of the first.

Proceeded by

Note that this is often confused with "preceded by"; ensure the intended meaning is 'followed'.

As a result of

Focuses on the causal link between the first event and what follows.

In the wake of

Idiomatic expression meaning following something, often something significant.

FAQs

Is it correct to say "follow by" or "followed by"?

In almost all general contexts, "followed by" is the correct grammatical choice to indicate sequence. "Follow by" is usually a mistake unless you are writing a mathematical proof where results literally follow via a theorem.

What can I use instead of "follow by" in a list?

You can use alternatives like "subsequent to", "after", or simply "then" depending on the context.

What does "follow by induction" mean?

In mathematics, this is a correct usage of "Follow by" meaning that a conclusion is reached through the process of induction. It is interchangeable with "derived from" or "concluded via".

Can I say "follow by with"?

No, this is redundant. You should use either "followed by" for sequence or "followed with" if the second item accompanies the first.