1. following的基本含义
adj. 后面的，其次的，顺风的
n. 崇拜者，拥护者，下列，跟随
prep. 随后，在…之后
v. 跟随，接着（follow的现在分词）
2. following的用法及示例
当following用作形容词时，其基本含义是“接着的”，与定冠词the连用时，可以表示“下述的”或“以下的”。
例如，“the following”作为主语时，其谓语动词的单复数形式取决于后面所提到的事物或人员的数量。通常情况下，“the following”既可用于单数也可用于复数形式。
following还可以表示“顺风的方向”或“吹来的风”。
a following wind
顺风
例如：The following wind and eastward running tide had given us a very pleasant, lazy sail.
顺风和向东的潮流使我们的航行变得非常惬意和轻松。
示例：
The following is a summary of events.
接下来的内容是事件的总结。
The following have been chosen to take part: Watts, Hodges and Lennox.
以下人员已被选中参与：沃茨、霍奇斯和伦诺克斯。
The following day the picture appeared on the front pages of every newspaper in the world.
次日，照片登上了世界各地报纸的头版。
The following item is a piano solo by Jackson.
接下来的节目是杰克逊的钢琴独奏。
It rained on the day we arrived, but the following day was sunny.
我们到达的那天下雨了，但第二天却是晴天。
Please choose from the following three selections.
请从以下三个选项中选择。
On behalf of my Government I have the honour to make to you the following communications.
我荣幸地代表我的政府向您传达以下信息。
Answer the following questions.
请回答下列问题。
We went to dinner the following Monday evening.
接下来的那个周一晚上，我们一起去吃晚餐。
The following year she joined the Royal Opera House.
次年，她加入了皇家歌剧院。
following还可以用于表示时间上的“接着”，例如：
the following afternoon/month/year/week
第二天下午；第二个月；第二年；第二周
例如：They arrived on Monday evening and we got there the following day.
他们在星期一晚上到达，我们则在第二天抵达。
I had already missed my flight, and the next one wasn't until the following morning.
我已经错过了航班，下一班飞机要到第二天早晨。
介词方面，following可以表示“在（某事）之后”或“由于”。
例如：He took charge of the family business following his father's death.
他在父亲去世后接管了家族企业。
I remember nothing else about the days following Daddy's death.
我不记得父亲去世后的那几天发生了其他事情。
