difference between next and following

hi,

thank you for your helpI would like to know if there is a difference in meaning between the next and the following like in:the following chapter/ the next chapter; the next month/ the following month.

• Grammar Geek:
  When you use "the" there's no difference.
  
  The difference would be using "next" without the "the."
  
  If I say "next month" I mean August. However, I can be talking about something that will happen in September, and then say "the next month" or "the following month" to mean October, and those to expressions mean the same thing.

is there any difference between "next", "following" and ''subsequent'?

• Yes:
  
  • Next means the one that comes after, like a train, a show, an act in a play, a step in a process, an opportunity;
  • Following refers to the next one after a specific time, place or physical marker: "We arrived on the 3pm train, and my brother arrived on the following train." [the train after the 3pm train specifically]. "Her father came from the war in 1963 and died the following year." [the year after 1963].
  • Following also introduces text or speech or a list: "Read the following paragraph" "Answer the following questions" "He told me the following: ... " "Please read the following books: ..."
  • Subsequent means the one or the ones that follow or result from something: "You should study my response and all subsequent responses from native speakers." [= all the responses that follow mine]