having followed

USAGE SUMMARY

"having followed" is a valid phrase in written English.
You can use it when talking about the order that two events took place. For example, you could say, "Having followed a successful career in law, I decided to pursue a career in writing."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"From France," he explains, having followed my gaze.

The New York Times - Arts

Bloomfield, having followed the food upstairs, tilted her gaze upward.

The New Yorker

Having followed him all day I could believe it.

Independent

And as the result of having followed that procedure, whichever distribution arises is fair.

Yale University

Having followed the press in Germany, they could not believe that the debate was so vitriolic.

The Guardian

Carroll, of course, sees the United States as having followed the path of Forrestal.

The New York Times - Books

Mr. Bull died last year, never having followed through on his intention to restore the car.

The New York Times

China has been seen as largely having followed Russia's lead in vetoing the resolution.

Independent

He cited Georgetown and Bethesda, Md., as having followed that path.

The New York Times

If you're reading this, it is likely the result of having followed a link through an old server address.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

But it faulted him for not having followed through with the Chief of Staff, who arrived in Beirut Friday afternoon.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "having followed" to clearly establish a chronological sequence of events, ensuring the action described by the participle precedes the main clause action. For instance, "Having followed the instructions carefully, the experiment yielded positive results."

Common error

Avoid ambiguity by placing "having followed" close to the noun or pronoun it modifies. Incorrect: "Having followed closely, the data was collected." Correct: "Having followed the experiment closely, the researchers collected the data."

Linguistic Context

Having followed functions as a perfect participle phrase, modifying a noun or pronoun to indicate a prior action. Ludwig examples show its use in describing actions completed before a subsequent event, such as "Having followed the design based synthetic route...".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

42%

Academia

29%

Science

29%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "having followed" is a grammatically correct and frequently used participial phrase that establishes a chronological sequence between two actions. As Ludwig AI confirms, it effectively indicates that one action was completed before another commenced. It's commonly found in news articles, academic writing, and scientific reports, reflecting a neutral to formal register. When using "having followed", ensure clear modification to avoid misplaced modifier errors, and consider alternatives like "after observing" or "as a result of watching" for stylistic variation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

as a result of watching

Focuses on the causal relationship between watching and subsequent events.

due to having watched

Similar to 'as a result of', this emphasizes causality.

after having observed

Emphasizes observation as the initial action before a subsequent event.

on account of observing

Highlights that actions are taken because of prior observation.

after staying abreast of

Suggests a proactive effort to remain informed and knowledgeable.

subsequent to observing

Formal alternative emphasizing the sequential nature of observation and following actions.

after keeping up with

Emphasizes maintaining awareness and staying current.

in the wake of observing

Suggests that what follows is a direct consequence of the observation.

since keeping an eye on

Highlights the continuous act of watching over time.

because I kept up with

More casual, emphasizing continuous tracking or monitoring.

FAQs

How is "having followed" used in a sentence?

You can use "having followed" to indicate that an action occurred before another, like in the sentence, "Having followed the map, we arrived at our destination."

What are some alternatives to the phrase "having followed"?

Alternatives include phrases like "after observing", "as a result of watching", or "subsequent to observing", depending on the context.

Is it grammatically correct to start a sentence with "having followed"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct to start a sentence with "having followed" as it forms a participial phrase that modifies the subject of the main clause.

What's the difference between "having followed" and "following"?

"Having followed" indicates a completed action that precedes another action, whereas "following" can simply describe an action happening at the same time or immediately after another.