I Just Wanted To Follow Up—Seven Effective Alternatives (2024)

powered byLanguageTool

If you’re looking for another way to say “I just wanted to follow up,” you’ve come to the right place. Here you’ll find seven effective alternatives.

I Just Wanted To Follow Up—Seven Effective Alternatives (1)
Other Ways To Say “I Just Wanted To Follow Up”
  • I just wanted to follow up is a widely used email phrase. A few alternatives you can use instead are:
    • Can you please give me an update on the project?
      What’s the status of the report?
      I’m checking in on the email below.

Writing Follow-Up Emails

If you write numerous emails for work or school, you probably find yourself using the same wording time and time again. The best way to write effectively is to avoid using these copy-and-paste phrases.

These seven I’m just following up alternatives will not only enhance your fluency but will also help you get your message across more clearly.

I Just Wanted To Follow Up—Seven Effective Alternatives (2)

Seven Other Ways To Say “I Just Wanted To Follow Up”

As you may have guessed, I just wanted to follow up (or its variations like I’m just following up) is a phrase that’s used in follow-up emails. Put differently, when you’re checking in on the status of something or making sure that your colleague or employee is doing okay on a task, you’re following up.

The major issue with this phrase is that it doesn’t explicitly state what you’re asking for or seeking. Consider the following example:

Hi Sally,
I just wanted to follow up on how the project is going.

Best,
Kenneth

And then Sally responds:

Hi Kenneth,
The project is going well.

Thanks,
Sally

Sally’s response was as unclear as Kenneth’s initial email. Because he didn’t distinctly ask for specific information, Sally didn’t provide it. That’s why it’s vital to be as direct as possible when writing emails. The following alternatives are clear-cut and could be used in place of I just wanted to follow up.

1. Can you please give me an update on X?

Hi Lewis,
Can you please give me an update on finding a new graphic designer for the team? I’m excited about the direction the company is heading.

Best,
Helen

2. What’s the status of X?

Jeff,
What’s the status of the budget report? Was it approved by both parties? I need to know before I proceed with the purchase.

Thanks for your help,
Carl

3. Has there been any progress on X?

Dear Mr. Patterson,
Has there been any progress on the closing of the house? My clients are eager to close the deal.

Regards,
Whitney

4. Where are we with X?

Hello Regina,
Where are we with the signatures needed for the petition? I would love to turn everything in by Friday EOD. Please let me know if you require any help.

Best,
Fiorella

5. Do you need any support from me on X?

Dear Lester,
Do you need any support from me with the task Quincy assigned to you? I’d love to help, just let me know.

Best,
Carlo

6. I’m checking in on X.

Hi Nina,
I’m checking in on the errors the accounting department found. Has everything been rectified? Let me know if there’s any way I can help.

Best,
Jacob

7. I’m circling back on X.

Josue,
I’m circling back on the catalogs that are scheduled to be sent out in three days. Has everything been edited and proofread? Thanks for your help with this project.

Regards,
Evelyn

Writing Follow-Up Emails: What To Keep in Mind

There are a few guidelines to keep in mind if you want to write the perfect follow-up email.

  • Be direct! Say exactly what you need to say. Avoid using phrases like I’m just following up, and you’ll no longer receive fuzzy, unclear responses.
  • Be polite. Being direct doesn’t mean you have to be rude. Always use please and thank you when appropriate. If you’d like, you can open with I hope this email finds you well or its alternatives.
  • Check for spelling and grammar errors. Trust us: There’s nothing as gut-wrenching as noticing an error after you click the send button. LanguageTool—a multilingual spelling and grammar checker—not only corrects these mistakes, but it can also help improve your style and tone with the help of its rephrasing feature.
  • I Just Wanted To Follow Up—Seven Effective Alternatives (3)

Gina

Gina holds a Bachelor of Arts in English. With a passion for creating art with words, she spends her free time reading and writing. And no, we didn’t force her to say that. You can find her strolling the shorelines with her loyal canine companion, Mango, or (painfully) cheering on her favorite team, the Miami Dolphins.

Unleash the Professional Writer in You With LanguageTool

Go well beyond grammar and spell checking. Impress with clear, precise, and stylistically flawless writing instead.

Get started for free

We Value Your Feedback

We’ve made a mistake, forgotten about an important detail, or haven’t managed to get the point across? Let’s help each other to perfect our writing.

I Just Wanted To Follow Up—Seven Effective Alternatives (2024)

FAQs

I Just Wanted To Follow Up—Seven Effective Alternatives? ›

Be direct

You could try: “I'm following up on the below” or “Following up on this [request/question/assignment]” “I'm circling back on the below” or “Circling back on this [request/question/assignment]” “I'm checking in on the below” or “Checking in on this [request/question/assignment]”

What to say instead of "I just wanted to follow up"? ›

Be direct

You could try: “I'm following up on the below” or “Following up on this [request/question/assignment]” “I'm circling back on the below” or “Circling back on this [request/question/assignment]” “I'm checking in on the below” or “Checking in on this [request/question/assignment]”

How do you professionally say "I am just following up"? ›

Openers you might want to try include:
  1. I just wanted to follow up on the email I sent last [day of the week email was sent] about [subject of email].
  2. I just wanted to follow up to see what you thought about [subject of email].
  3. Hope this doesn't sound weird, but I saw that you read my previous email.
Mar 1, 2024

What to say instead of "I just wanted to"? ›

The phrase may also show up as “I would like to…” and “I would love to....”. There's also “I hope….” and “I am hopeful that…” (See also: “just”).

What is another way to say I just wanted to check in? ›

Alternative phrases to “just checking in”

Hope you're doing well! Wanted to touch base with you. Checking up on how things are going. I thought I'd reach out and see how you're doing.

How do you say I just wanted to know professionally? ›

I might say, “I'm curious,” “I'd like to know,” “I'm intrigued,” “I want to find out,” or “I want to ask you,” depending on the context of what I want to know about.

What is a better word for follow up? ›

pursue to a conclusion or bring to a successful issue. “She followed up his recommendations with a written proposal” synonyms: carry out, follow out, follow through, go through, implement, put through accomplish, action, carry out, carry through, execute, fulfil, fulfill.

How do you politely say you are following up? ›

I hope this email finds you well. I'm following up on my previous email on [Date]. I requested [Item/Information] from you and was wondering if there is any update on this request. Please let me know if you need any further information from me.

How do you politely follow up request? ›

Tip: Be brief. Be polite by asking if they've looked it over rather than accuse or point out that you haven't received it yet. Add value by giving them context for the urgency if needed or urgency about the next steps. Finish with a call to action so they know what you want them to do and why it's important.

How to follow up without being annoying? ›

How do you follow up on important or urgent emails without being annoying or pushy?
  1. Know your purpose.
  2. Choose the right timing.
  3. Use a friendly and polite tone.
  4. Provide value and context.
  5. End with a clear call to action.
  6. Here's what else to consider.
Jun 12, 2023

What does I wanted to follow up mean? ›

to find out more about something, or take more action connected with it: The idea sounded interesting and I decided to follow it up. He decided to follow up on his initial research and write a book. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases.

How do you say I just wanted to ask? ›

'Just wanted to ask…' seems absolutely fine. Either is fine, “may I know” is a bit formal, so if you want to use that sentence, I'd say use it around people you don't know well. Both are correct although you should put an 'I' before 'just wanted to ask' which is quite informal. “May I know” is pretty formal.

How do you say I want without saying I want? ›

'I would like…' is the usual thing to say to tone down 'I want…'. Example 'I would like some coffee' is more polite than 'I want some coffee' and can be made even more polite by adding 'please'. 'I would like____.

What does just checking up on you mean? ›

to find out what someone is doing in order to make certain that the person is behaving correctly or legally: Dad is always checking up on me to make sure I'm doing my homework. (Definition of check up on someone from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

What does just wanted to check in with you mean? ›

Just checking in is a standard phrase used to start an email (or other message). It's used to follow up on a previous message or conversation and ask for an update on a previously discussed or ongoing project. It's meant to convey a friendly, no-pressure tone but encourage the reader to respond.

What is a synonym for check and confirm? ›

authenticate, certify, check, corroborate, demonstrate, double-check, establish, find out, justify, prove, substantiate.

How do you politely follow up? ›

Here are some key things to keep in mind when you reach out to someone for the second (or third, or fourth) time.
  1. Have a compelling subject line. ...
  2. Be mindful of your tone. ...
  3. Keep it short and use simple language. ...
  4. Make a clear ask. ...
  5. Give them an out. ...
  6. Be judiciously persistent.
Jan 13, 2021

How do you ask for a follow up without being annoying? ›

Tip: Be brief. Be polite by asking if they've looked it over rather than accuse or point out that you haven't received it yet. Add value by giving them context for the urgency if needed or urgency about the next steps. Finish with a call to action so they know what you want them to do and why it's important.

How do you politely follow up after no response? ›

Start by referencing the original email you sent and politely express that you're following up because you haven't received a response yet. Keep the follow-up email concise and to the point. Provide a gentle reminder: Include a gentle reminder of the action or response you're awaiting.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Catherine Tremblay

Last Updated:

Views: 6513

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (67 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Catherine Tremblay

Birthday: 1999-09-23

Address: Suite 461 73643 Sherril Loaf, Dickinsonland, AZ 47941-2379

Phone: +2678139151039

Job: International Administration Supervisor

Hobby: Dowsing, Snowboarding, Rowing, Beekeeping, Calligraphy, Shooting, Air sports

Introduction: My name is Catherine Tremblay, I am a precious, perfect, tasty, enthusiastic, inexpensive, vast, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.