request to follow

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "request to follow" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when asking someone to follow a specific guideline, instruction, or social media account. Example: "I would like to send a request to follow your profile for updates on your latest work."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

There has been widespread speculation that if Mr. Fink took the job, Mr. Fleming would be a logical president, though it remains unclear what the board considers Mr. Fleming's role to be in the recent credit debacle and the approach he made, at Mr. O'Neal's request, to follow up with merger conversations with Wachovia.

The New York Times

Managers who do not necessarily always work with a particular person can now request to follow them on the platform for periods of time — say, when they are on a project together.

TechCrunch

Tebow ends most messages with "GB²," a dual-purpose sign-off meaning "Go Broncos" and "God Bless," while Lin's profile picture mock-quotes Jesus with a Twitter-relevant request to "follow" Him.

Huffington Post

Once you make your tweets private: Other users will need to make a request to follow you, and you will need to approve all requests.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

"Last night, and after multiple requests to follow the law, the Colorado State Patrol intervened," Mr. Hickenlooper said.

The New York Times

Anxiety before the examination was recorded by 274/1,171 patients; 609/1,171 studies were requested to follow up a known disease process.

Insights into Imaging

The Manage Friends area now shows you your Friends in common (along with their avatar) so you can see if you actually know a person that has requested to follow you.

TechCrunch

There were no significant differences regarding sex or anxiety before the examination, or if the study was the first exam for the patient's problem or it had been requested to follow up a known disease process.

Insights into Imaging

Bruning accused Stenberg of being "creepy" for requesting to follow his 14-year-old daughter on Twitter.

Huffington Post

Parsons told the Omaha World-Herald that he did not remember requesting to follow Bruning's daughter.

Huffington Post

My 12-year-old had other ideas and headed directly into the bay, despite repeated requests to follow me.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "request to follow" in a social media context, consider specifying the type of content the user will gain access to by following. For example, "I sent a request to follow your account for updates on your art projects."

Common error

Avoid using "request to follow" in extremely formal contexts, where a more direct phrase like "apply for access" or "seek permission" would be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "request to follow" functions primarily as a request or application seeking permission to access content or updates, particularly within social media or professional contexts. Ludwig confirms its correct usage.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Wiki

25%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

15%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "request to follow" is a grammatically correct and commonly understood way to ask for permission to access content, particularly in social media contexts. While Ludwig confirms its validity, it's important to consider the formality of the situation. Alternatives such as "apply to follow" or "seek permission to follow" may be more appropriate in formal settings. Although the phrase is not rare, it is not as frequently used as other similar phrases like "ask to follow", indicating there are opportunities to expand your linguistic toolkit.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

ask to follow

Replaces "request" with a more common synonym, "ask".

seek permission to follow

Replaces "request" with a more formal phrase, "seek permission".

submit a follow request

Changes the structure to emphasize the action of submitting a request.

put in a request to follow

Emphasizes the process of making the request.

apply to follow

Substitutes "request" with "apply", indicating a formal process.

express interest in following

Shifts the focus to expressing interest rather than making a direct request.

desire to follow

Uses "desire" to convey a wish to follow.

wish to follow

Substitutes "request" with "wish", indicating a softer approach.

enquire about following

Replaces "request" with "enquire", making it a question about the possibility of following.

file a request to follow

Replaces "submit" with "file" to indicate something more official.

FAQs

What does "request to follow" mean?

The phrase "request to follow" generally means to formally ask for permission or access, especially in social media to see someone's content or, more broadly, to indicate a desire to stay updated or aligned with someone's activities.

How can I use "request to follow" in a sentence?

You can use "request to follow" to ask someone to let you see their content online. For example, "I sent a "follow request to" the artist on Instagram."

What's the difference between "ask to follow" and "request to follow"?

"Ask to follow" and "request to follow" are very similar. "Request to follow" might sound slightly more formal, but both phrases express the same intention. Consider alternatives like "seek permission to follow" for more formal situations.

What can I say instead of "request to follow"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "apply to follow", "ask to follow", or "submit a follow request".