Cool MateFollow vs We must hold to this course
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Follow
Top 1,000 (very common)A1verb
We must hold to this course
Beyond 10,000 (less common)
Most common: Follow
| Follow | We must hold to this course | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈfɒləʊ/","/ˈfɒləʊz/","/ˈfɒləʊd/","/ˈfɒləʊɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈfɑːləʊ/","/ˈfɑːləʊz/","/ˈfɑːləʊd/","/ˈfɑːləʊɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //wi mʌst həʊld tʊ ðɪs kɔːs//🇺🇸 //wi mʌst hoʊld tʊ ðɪs kɔrs// |
| Meaning | To go after someone or something or do what they do. | We need to stay on this plan. |
| Example | I will follow you to the store. | In challenging times, we must hold to this course. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Beyond 10,000 (less common) |
| CEFR level | A1 | - |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | closely, reluctantly, dutifully, beckon somebody to, beckon to somebody to, being followed, follow close behind (somebody), follow right behind (somebody), closely, quickly, shortly, (be) followed by something, follow in the wake of something, closely, quickly, shortly, (be) followed by something, follow in the wake of something, carefully, to the letter, dutifully, faithfully, blindly, slavishly, be expected to, be likely to, follow in somebody’s footsteps, follow in the tradition of somebody/something, follow suit, not necessarily, logically, naturally, (on) from, not quite, be easy to, be difficult to, be hard to | hold to a plan, hold to a decision, hold to a strategy |
| Antonyms | lead, precede, guide | - |
| Common mistakes | Confusing 'follow' with 'lead' — they have opposite meanings., Using 'follow' without an object (e.g., 'I will follow' should specify who or what)., Mistakenly using 'follows' in the past tense instead of 'followed'. | Confuse with 'hold onto' which means to retain something physically., Use 'to' instead of 'onto' in phrases like 'hold to this plan'. |
| Usage notes | Use 'follow' when discussing tracking someone physically or conceptually (like ideas or trends). For social media, 'follow' often describes subscribing to someone's updates. Avoid using it in overly formal contexts. | Use when discussing commitments or plans. It fits well in both formal and casual conversations but may sound slightly formal. |
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Frequently asked questions: Follow vs We must hold to this course
What's the difference between Follow and We must hold to this course?
Follow: To go after someone or something or do what they do. We must hold to this course: We need to stay on this plan.
Which is more common: Follow and We must hold to this course?
Follow is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Follow: I will follow you to the store. We must hold to this course: In challenging times, we must hold to this course.
Can I use Follow and We must hold to this course interchangeably?
Not always. Follow and We must hold to this course are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.