In email writing, the golden rule is to always include a statement of purpose or intent. The expression “I wanted to follow up…” is one example of such a message.
Truth be told, we dislike using the same expression time and time again because we feel like we can actually be more creative if we want to.
In other words, we simply don’t want to sound like a broken record when we write, ironically speaking.
So, in today’s post, we have compiled various expressions containing the set phrase “I wanted to follow up…” to make professional email writing less of a nuisance.
As always, you will also find plenty of great alternative expressions that you can use instead of “I wanted to follow up”, to make sure that your writing remains dynamic and professional at all times.
Expressions containing “I wanted to follow up…”
- I would like to follow up…
- This is to follow up…
- This is just to follow up…
- I am writing to follow up…
- I would like to do a follow-up…
- I just wanted to follow up…
- I’m just following up…
- Following up on…
- I just wanted to follow up…
- Just following up again…
- To follow up on…
- I want to follow up…
Alternatives to “I wanted to follow up…”
- To circle back…
- I just wanted to check…
- I would just like to know…
- Per our last discussion…
- By any chance, have you…
- Have you had the chance to…
- Have you, by any chance, checked my…
- This is just to remind you about my previous concern…
- I am writing another email because I have tried to…
- I sent an email to you last week and hadn’t heard back…
Understanding “I wanted to follow up…” in business correspondence
In business correspondence, follow-up emails are what we send to people when we want to prompt or remind them about a particular concern.
That is to say, we write follow-up emails when our messages of concern get ignored for some reason that we are not necessarily aware of.
These kinds of emails are important because they prompt the message receiver to take action by responding to whatever concern we have sent.
Needless to say, tact and civility are key elements that drive healthy relationships in business settings. But, sometimes, we tend to struggle with how to do such a typical activity.
The most common way to do follow-ups is to make use of the expression “I wanted to follow up..” This is usually followed by “on my last or previous email.”
“Follow up” is a phrasal verb that simply suggests the meaning “investigate” or “look into.” In simpler terms, it could also mean “to check something out.”
To clarify, “follow-up” is different from “follow up” because the former is a either an adjective or a noun while the latter is a verb.
Moreover, the single word variant spelling “followup” is simply a spelling mistake that may have been inadvertently passed on from one language community to another.
In actual, casual language use, we tend to respond to these scenarios by saying “thank you for checking on me” but not in professional contexts.
Professional exchanges need more careful language use to maintain good working relationships that drive the business.
To contextualize the expression we are discussing, here’s an example of how to use “I wanted to follow up…”:
Example:
Dear Darcy,
I wanted to follow up on my previous email. To briefly recall, I sent you an inquiry about the administrative processes regarding my end of contract. I would appreciate it if you could provide the details within the week so I can prepare the necessary documents.
Thank you for your help in advance.
Respectfully,
Martha
12 Ways to Use “I wanted to follow up…” in E-Mail Writing (Business Correspondence)
Human as we are, we are naturally creative in the sense that we want to avoid repeating exactly the same message over and over.
It makes us sound mechanical or robotic – maybe even uninventive in a way. So, we tend to look for linguistic variations in the daily expressions that we use.
To contribute to resolving this concern we have prepared various ways of using the phrase “I wanted to follow up…” together with practical examples.
1. I would like to follow up…
Only a couple of words different from “I wanted to follow up,” “I would like to follow up” is a great polite expression to use.
This expression is great for following up on job application-related matters because of its polite structure and connotation. However, it can be used in all sorts of formal contexts. One of the stock phrases you’ll often hear in combination with “I would like to follow up…” is “I would like to follow up on my previous Email […].”
Let’s now have a look at how to use this handy expression in formal Email correspondence.
Example 1: How to Use “I would like to follow up” in an Email”
Dear HR,
I would like to follow up on my job application. I sent an online application form last week on April 15, 2022. I was advised by Ms. Jillian Miller to wait for further instructions, yet I have not heard from her since last Friday.
Sincerely,
Sylvia Perez
Example 2: How to use “I would like to follow up on my previous Email” in an Email
I hope this email finds you well. I would like to follow up on my previous email regarding the current state of our business relationship. As I haven’t received a response yet, I was wondering if you already had the chance to review it.
If there are any further details that you need from me, please let me know, and I will be more than happy to provide them.
Kind regards,
Marcel
2. This is to follow up…
More direct than “I wanted to follow up,” “This is to follow up” communicates conciseness to the reader of the message.
This is a great expression to use if and when the need for pleasantries toward the message receiver becomes irrelevant for some reason.
Example:
Dear Ms. Peterson,
This is to follow up on our last conversation about the general monthly meeting for all employees. The marketing department is asking whether we already have a definite schedule for it.
Thank you in advance.
Best regards,
Natalie
3. This is just to follow up…
To make “This is to follow up…” slightly softer, we can also insert the adverb “just.” Doing so reduces the straightforwardness of the expression.
Hence, this is great for emailing a large group of people like all employees or team members at once.
Example:
This is just to follow up on the management feedback form for the first quarter. We would like to receive all forms by the end of the week so we can start with our next step.
Thank you for your attention.
Kind regards,
HR
4. I am writing to follow up…
“I am writing to follow up…” suggests ownership of the action because of the presence of the pronoun “I.”
Upon choosing to do so, we intend to communicate that the follow-up email is not necessarily coming from an organizational group or department.
Example:
Dear Mr. Quinn,
I am writing to follow up on your lacking requirements for your loan application. We need two (2) copies of your valid IDs. Please provide back-to-back copies of these IDs on two separate sheets. You may just scan them and send them to me via email. If possible, kindly send these to me by tomorrow or the following day.
Thank you in advance.
Best regards,
Lily Roberts
5. I would like to do a follow-up…
Meanwhile, “I would like to do a follow-up…” is leaning more toward actionable steps like inviting someone to a meeting or asking the person to do something.
Note that the word “follow-up” in this statement is a noun and, therefore, it needs a hyphen or n-dash.
Example:
Dear Team,
Hope all is well with you. I would like to do a follow-up meeting about last week’s issues and concerns. Please make yourselves available for one hour this afternoon. I would like to meet you between 3 and 4 pm in the conference room.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Best,
Philip
6. I just wanted to follow up…
“I just wanted to follow up…” is also a great way to remind a person of an inquiry or concern that may have been overlooked.
The insertion of the adverb “just” acts as a request softener tool. “Just” in this example means “only,” another adverb that suggests the meaning “nothing more.”
Example:
Dear Bella,
I just wanted to follow up on the weekly sales report from your branch. I would need it by the end of the day today. Also, please do send me a brief evaluation report of your new sales staff at the store. I will have a meeting with HR tomorrow morning, and I would need to report this information as well.
Thank you in advance.
Kind regards,
Martin
7. I’m just following up…
Meanwhile, expressed in the present continuous form, “I’m just following up on…” provides a more timely feeling to the reader.
It also makes use of the adverb “just,” which acts as a hedging device that makes the follow-up message more cautious.
Example:
Dear Ethan,
I’m just following up on your thoughts about the newest topics that you need to write about. All of the new topics and instructions are highlighted in the spreadsheet. If anything is unclear, or if you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know.
Best regards,
Cassandra
8. Following up on…
If you think being more direct would help make your communication more efficient, you may choose the simple “Following up on…” introductory phrase instead.
As this is a prepositional phrase, a noun phrase is needed afterward. Here’s an example of how to use this variant in context:
Example:
Dear Thelma,
Following up on your assigned report, I would suggest reading Gap Selling by Keenan. This book contains a lot of relevant information that you can make use of. I have personally read this book before, and I have been able to learn useful strategies.
Warm regards,
Mildred
9. I just wanted to follow up…
Using simple past verbs is a common politeness strategy in both written and spoken conversations.
Pair this with the adverb “just,” and you get a prudent follow-up email expression. Hence, using “I just wanted to follow up…” is also a great choice.
Example:
Dear Robin,
I just wanted to follow up on my change of schedule request. I have already filled up the online form and sent you an email about it last week. In case I missed any steps to make this request happen, kindly don’t hesitate to let me know.
Sincerely,
Caroline
10. Just following up again…
If you have already sent a follow-up email to a previous question or concern, yet you still haven’t received any response, you may opt for “Just following up again…”
The neutrally casual tone of this expression is great for preventing any undesirable misinterpretation from the message receiver’s side.
Example:
Dear Noah,
Just following up again on my previous message. I would like to know whether you are interested in considering a cost-reduction service to make sure your company is not getting ripped off? This brings irresistible value to start-up businesses by reducing overhead expenses. Feel free to book a call with me anytime.
Please see attached for my scheduler’s link.
Warm regards,
Calvin
11. To follow up on…
Another direct and space-saving follow-up expression is “To follow up on…” As it is short, direct, and simple, it prevents ambiguities in sense-making.
Remember to make use of a noun phrase after the preposition “on” to observe grammaticality.
Example:
Dear Raven,
To follow up on my last email, please let me know within the day whether you would like to schedule your house viewing next week. Attached below is the link to my calendar. Feel free to book a schedule anytime. Please let me know if you have any questions too.
Regards,
Tammy
12. I want to follow up…
Last but not least among the variations, “I want to follow up on…” is probably the most straightforward.
It makes use of the simple present verb tense, which is relatively less cautious than the simple past. Here’s how you could use it in context:
Example:
Dear Andre,
I want to follow up on the voicemail that I sent you this morning. If you haven’t checked it yet, I actually wanted to know whether you are available for a meeting either this Thursday or Friday afternoon. I wanted to have a look at your designs because they seem to meet my preference. Please let me know your availability when you get this.
Regards,
Samuel
10 great alternatives to “I wanted to follow up…”
Apart from the variations above, there are also other ways to express “I wanted to follow up…” in email writing.
In this section, you’ll find ten alternative expressions that can be effectively used in writing follow-up emails depending on your needed intent and emphasis.
1. To circle back…
“To circle back” to something means “to return” or “to time jump” to some event in the past. This expression can also be used in follow-up emails.
This expression may not be a direct synonym of the expression we are discussing today, but it is a great phrase for implying the same intent.
Example:
Dear Kat,
To circle back to our discussion two days ago, we would need to have a look at the results of your analysis. You seem to have discovered some interesting findings, which are relevant to our current research. I would like to rediscuss these things with you as soon as possible. So, kindly let me know if you are available today.
Kind regards,
Max
2. I just wanted to check…
“I just wanted to check…” is also something we can use for follow-ups, especially with those people who we communicate with all the time.
Slightly reducing the formality level on our email message suggests that the message receiver is quite close to us.
Example:
Dear Allison,
I just wanted to check whether you have already read my last email regarding the revised employee handbook. There are some specific points that I would like to discuss with you. Kindly let me know when you are available for a meeting.
Best,
Emma
3. I would just like to know…
Meanwhile, a more formal alternative to “I wanted to follow up…” is “I would just like to know…”
As this expression breathes politeness, you can never go wrong with it. Here’s how you could make use of “I would just like to know…”
Example:
Dear Ally,
I would just like to know whether you have already reviewed the documents I sent via email last week. The whole team will have a sync-up meeting this Wednesday, and we need to provide a report on those documents. Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with to speed up the analysis process.
Kind regards,
Jason
4. Per our last conversation…
Like “To circle back,” “Per our last discussion…” is also a great email intent introduction for follow-ups.
Note that people may also use “As per our conversation…” instead of “Per our last conversation” if they do not want to specify which exact discussion they are referring to.
Example:
Dear Ray,
Per our last discussion, you mentioned that you would check with the accounts team what happened behind the payment transfer failure. Upon checking my account again today, the amount still hasn’t been credited. Kindly let me know whether there is any other action I should take to resolve the issue. Thank you for your patience.
Kind regards,
Cynthia
5. By any chance, have you…
Used to convey tentativeness in writing or speech, “By any chance, have you…” is also a great alternative to “I wanted to follow up…”
Because of its lighthearted tone, your reader would definitely appreciate your tactful language use if you choose this one.
Example:
Dear Jake,
By any chance, have you already found out the reason behind the system error on our website? It seems that some of the functions are still not working on my end. I would appreciate it if you could give me an update about this matter within the day.
Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Jonas
6. Have you had the chance to…
“Have you had the chance to…” is a more direct version of the previous one that contains the hedging device “By any chance.”
Despite this more straightforward structure, it is still great for follow-up situations that especially require more urgent action.
Example:
Dear Alex,
Have you had the chance to talk with Jane? It appears that the CRM tool she developed has been a little laggy recently. It would be nice if you could let me know how long this system issue could take so I could also explain it to my team.
Kind regards,
Jamie
7. Have you, by any chance, checked my…
Following a more stylistic language structure, “Have you, by any chance, checked my…” is also something we could effectively use during follow-ups.
The hedging device “by any chance” in this phrase serves as an interruptive thought. Doing so would balance the amount of assertion and caution that you want to convey.
Example
Dear Peter,
Have you, by any chance, checked my last email regarding the additional technical support we need for our website? There have been a lot of end-user complaints in the last couple of weeks, and we need to take action as soon as possible.
Thank you for your kind attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Daniel
8. This is just to remind you about my previous concern…
Meanwhile, a formal yet straightforward follow-up alternative would be “This is just to remind you about my previous concern…”
This expression is great for conveying more authority to your reader, which would then help in prompting them to take action.
Example:
Dear Angela,
This is just to remind you about my previous concern regarding the incorrect data set that we need to analyze. If possible, I would like to have it corrected by the end of the day tomorrow so my team can start with the analysis soon.
Thank you for your attention to the issue.
Regards,
Ellie
9. I am writing another email because I have tried to…
If you have already written the person more than twice yet haven’t received any response, “I am writing because I have tried to…” should be suitable.
Sometimes, we need to be more assertive so that people will take action. However, we also have to bear in mind that there could be a lot of reasons behind the no response.
Example:
Dear Andrew,
I am writing another email because I have tried to reach you a few times, yet I haven’t heard back. Per the management, there is a need for us to change the current logistics-related process to prevent the issue we had last month. I would like to book a call with you as soon as you are available to discuss this matter. The link to my calendar is also attached below for your reference.
Sincerely,
Stevie
10. I sent an email to you last week and hadn’t heard back…
Lastly, we could also simply describe what happened to our email message receiver to make him or her understand the situation.
Sometimes, emails can get lost in cyberspace for a multitude of reasons. Hence, doing so could help in making email correspondence easier.
Example:
Dear Andrew,
I sent an email to you last week and hadn’t heard back, so I thought I’d drop you another one. To recall my last email’s purpose, I wanted to schedule a meeting with you in person regarding the upcoming employee relations conference. We would have to decide on how many delegates we will be sending off, as well as who they would be. I need your input on this matter, hopefully by Friday afternoon. Please don’t hesitate to contact me for any clarifications regarding this matter, Andrew.
Kind regards,
Samantha
Follow-up prompts to avoid in email writing
If there are suggested follow-up prompts, there are also ones that we should avoid in email writing contexts.
The expressions below are context-inappropriate and may be considered offensive by anyone in the professional setting.
Why have you not responded yet?
The question “Why have you not responded yet?” is not a very good follow-up email prompt. This question is too direct and suggests impatience.
Although we may be able to say something like this in casual messaging with our close-knits, we have to avoid this question in email writing contexts.
Tell me how to resolve my issue right now.
“Tell me how to resolve my issue right now” is also another message that suggests rudeness and agitation.
It has an overly demanding connotation, which clearly makes communication harder, let alone the business relationship as a whole.
When will you address my concern?
Likewise, the question “When will you address my concern?” has to be avoided at all costs. It also bears an aggressive connotation that could break healthy relationships.
Even though superficially harmless in other casual scenarios, this would surely put a person off in business settings.
You must be too swamped to respond.
Needless to say, “You must be too swamped to respond” must also be avoided when doing follow-up emails.
This message has an extremely confrontational and presumptive tone that no one in the business world would appreciate.
Who else can I talk with apart from you?
The question “Who else can I talk with apart from you?” is also confrontational and hostile in tone, particularly in formal settings.
Yes, we do want our issues to be resolved as soon as possible, but being aggressive in our tonality just makes matters worse.
Hey! What are you up to?
Meanwhile, when doing follow-up emails, being too casual is also something we should steer away from.
“What are you up to?” is a casual expression that means “What are you doing.” This is something that is more suitable between or among friends and family members.
What’s up? Just wanted to…
Last but not least, another too casual expression that we must avoid is “What’s up?” followed by the “Just wanted to follow up…” part.
As email writing is expected to be neutrally formal to consultative in general, casual greetings like “What’s up?” should be considered inappropriate.
Conclusion
Writing follow-up emails can be tricky because we need to control our language use, notwithstanding our emotion, to maintain professionalism.
So, the all the variations and alternatives to the expression “I wanted to follow up…” together with practical example emails above should be more than helpful.
Kindly don’t hesitate to visit our humble site again next time for more interesting discussions about how language works.
Frequently Asked Questions on the business expression “I wanted to follow up…”
What do we mean by “I wanted to follow up on my previous email”?
“I wanted to follow up on my previous email” is a statement that explains the purpose of an email message. It is used to prompt a message receiver to review the last email being referred to by the sender. It also prompts the reader or message receiver to take action on a question or concern.
What is a polite follow-up email to a busy person?
To follow-up on a request, question, or concern to a busy person, we can simply use softener expressions like “by any chance,” such as in “Have you, by any chance, taken a look at my proposal?”
How can we gently follow up on a concern?
To gently follow up on a concern, we could make use of hedging devices or “cautious expressions.” Some of the examples would be “I would like to follow up on…” and “I was wondering whether you have already…”
What is a good follow-up email message after not receiving any response?
The default strategy in writing follow-up emails even after not receiving any response is to maintain politeness while adding some amount of assertion at the same time. We can say something like “This is to follow up, once again, on the…” or “I apologize for interrupting, but I would like to follow up on…”.
What do we mean by “I wanted to follow up on my previous email”?
“I wanted to follow up on my previous email” is a statement that explains the purpose of an email message. It is used to prompt a message receiver to review the last email being referred to by the sender. It also prompts the reader or message receiver to take action on a question or concern.
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