following用作形容詞表示“接著的”，與定冠詞the連用，表示“下述的”。the following作主語時,謂語動詞可用單數也可用復數。
1.following的意思
adj. 后面的，其次的,下列的,順風的
n. 崇拜者，擁護者,下列，如下,跟隨,隨球
prep. 隨后，在…以后
v. 跟隨，接著(follow的現在分詞)
2.following的用法及例句
following用作形容詞的基本意思是“接著的”,與定冠詞the連用可作“下述的”解。
the following作主語時,謂語動詞既可用單數形式,也可用復數形式。 動詞用單數還是復數取決于后面談及人、事物的單復數) 下述；下列；
following也可作順船的方向“吹〔流〕的”。
a following wind
順風
The following wind and eastward running tide had given us a very pleasant, lazy sail.
順風和向東的潮水使我們的航行很愜意、很省力。
例句：
The following is a summary of events.
現將重大事件綜述如下。
The following have been chosen to take part: Watts, Hodges and Lennox.
已選定下列人員參加：沃茨、霍奇斯和倫諾克斯。
he following day the picture appeared on the front pages of every newspaper in the world.
第二天照片出現在全世界所有報紙的頭版。
The following item is a piano solo by Jackson.下一個節目是杰克遜表演的鋼琴獨奏。
It rained on the day we arrived, but the following day was sunny.我們到達的那天正下雨，但次日天氣晴朗。
Please choose from the following three selections.請從下列的三個選擇中選擇。
On behalf of my Government I have the honour to make to you the followingcommunications.
我榮幸地代表我國政府向您轉達如下內容。《漢英大詞典》
Answer the following questions.
回答下列問題。
We went to dinner the following Monday evening
接下來那個周一的晚上，我們一起去吃了晚餐。
The following year she joined the Royal Opera House.
次年她加入了皇家歌劇院。
也可以表示：（時間上）接著的
the following afternoon/month/year/week
第二天下午；第二個月；第二年；第二周
They arrived on Monday evening and we got there the following day.
他們是星期一晚上到的，我們次日也抵達那里。
I had already missed my flight, and the next one wasn’t until the following morning
我已經錯過了我的航班，下一班飛機得等到明天早晨。
《柯林斯高階英漢雙解學習詞典》
（多么美妙的表達啊，在正常的表達句子里加上not until就能表達“得等到”的含義）
介詞
在（某事）以后；由于
He took charge of the family business following his father’s death.
父親死后他就接管了家族企業。
I remember nothing else about the days following Daddy’s death
父親去世之后那幾天我不記得有什么其他事了。
