Meaning & use
pass the information along
Last updated
Meanings
phraseidiom
to tell someone else the details you have received, so that the news keeps moving from person to person.
Grammar: Takes an object after 'along' if you name the person: pass the information along to someone.
Patterns
- pass the information along
- pass the information along to someone
- pass something along
When you hear from the supplier, please pass the information along to the rest of the team.
I only found out about the change because Maria passed the information along at lunch.
The office manager passed the information along to everyone in the building.
phraseidiom
to send details on to the next person or department that needs them, rather than dealing with them yourself.
Grammar: Often used at work when a request or message is not your job to answer.
Patterns
- pass the information along to someone
- pass the information along to another department
I don't handle refunds, so I passed the information along to the accounts office.
She passed the information along to her manager and let him decide what to do next.
Common combinations
- pass the information along to someone
- Could you pass the information along to whoever is covering my shift?
- pass the information along quickly
- If you pass the information along quickly, nobody has to ask twice.
- pass the information along by email
- We usually pass the information along by email rather than by phone.
- pass the information along the chain
- In a big company, news has to pass the information along the chain before it reaches the top.
- kindly pass the information along
- Kindly pass the information along to the new starters before Monday.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pass on the information
- Almost the same meaning, but 'pass on' is more common in British English and works equally well with a person after 'to'.
- forward the information
- Used mostly about emails or documents; it suggests sending something on rather than telling someone in speech.
- relay the information
- More formal and slightly technical, often used for messages or official announcements.
Opposites
Word family
- pass something along phrasal verb
- to give an object or message to the next person
Commonly confused: pass the information along or pass away?
pass the information along vs pass away
'Pass away' is a polite way to say someone died; it has nothing to do with sharing information.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase needs 'along' before the person, so 'pass the information along to the design team' is correct. Option 0 puts 'along' in the wrong place, and options 1 and 2 use a pattern that English does not allow.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pass the information along”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.