followed up

USAGE SUMMARY

"followed up" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that was done as a consequence of some earlier action. For example: "I sent an email to the director about the new project, and I followed it up with a phone call."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Why isn't this followed up?

Independent

Mr. Conrad followed up.

The New York Times

Complaints need to be followed up seriously.

The Economist

Should it be followed up?

The New York Times - Books

Master followed up on redirect.

The New Yorker

That was followed up by further discussions.

BBC

Schwarz followed up with a sales call.

Forbes

He never followed up with more questions.

Science Magazine

We followed up in 2009.

TechCrunch

Patients were followed up for 90 days.

Sports Medicine - Open

Patients were followed up during ICU stay.

Intensive Care Medicine Experimental

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "followed up", ensure that the initial action or event is clear to provide context for the follow-up. For example, "After the meeting, I "followed up" with an email summarizing the key points".

Common error

Avoid using "followed up" when you mean to describe the completion of an action. "Followed up" implies an additional action after an initial one, not necessarily the final step.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "followed up" functions primarily as a verb phrase, specifically in the past tense, indicating an action taken subsequent to a previous one. Ludwig highlights its use in describing actions taken to pursue or check on something after an initial step.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

44%

Science

35%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Wiki

1%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "followed up" is a verb phrase in the past tense used to describe actions taken after an initial step. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and widely applicable in various contexts, particularly in News & Media and Science. Its neutral register makes it appropriate for professional and general use. When using "followed up", ensure the initial action is clear and avoid confusing it with simply completing an action. Related phrases include "followed through" and "investigated further", each offering slight nuances in meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

followed it up

Highlights that something (it) was chased after the initial contact.

followed through

Focuses on completing an action that was started, emphasizing the completion aspect.

investigated further

Implies a more in-depth inquiry or examination after an initial assessment.

looked into

Indicates a preliminary examination or investigation of a matter.

pursued the matter

Emphasizes the continuation of an action, investigation, or discussion.

checked on

Highlights the act of monitoring or verifying something's status after a certain period.

took action

Emphasizes the implementation of measures based on prior events or information.

acted upon

Implies a response to a previous event or a decision based on prior information.

responded to

Highlights the reaction or answer to an initial event or inquiry.

probed into

Indicates a deeper, more thorough investigation of a specific area or topic.

FAQs

How do I use "followed up" in a sentence?

Use "followed up" to indicate that you took further action after an initial contact or event. For example, "I sent the email and then "followed up" with a phone call a week later".

What are some alternatives to "followed up"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "followed through", "investigated further", or "looked into".

Is it correct to say "follow up" instead of "followed up"?

"Follow up" is the base form of the verb, while "followed up" is the past tense. Use "followed up" when describing an action that has already occurred.

What's the difference between "followed up" and "followed through"?

"Followed up" indicates a subsequent action after an initial one, while "followed through" implies the completion of an action to its conclusion.