Follows - following

There are two constructions used in academic English that non-native speakers sometimes confuse: the following and as follows. They have very similar meanings; but are different grammatically. Do not muddle them.

• As follows is an adverbial phrase. it is usually followed by a punctuation mark, most often a colon. Use it to introduce a further section, or an explanation of what you are talking about. For example, "A distinction has been made between X and Y, as follows: X is ..., but Y is ..." There is also a construction of 'follows' 'with a Subject and a clause: "What follows is a description of the scene from a contemporary source."

• In the following, following is an adjective (more precisely, a participial adjective) in form, used as a substantive. Think of it as meaning 'the thing that follows', or 'the following [thing]'. So you can write, using the word as an adjective, "the following paragraphs may clarify this difficult idea", or, as a substantive, "˜The following gives a better picture".

It is always a mistake to write the follows. Avoid the constructions as following and following is.