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Since I tried Ludwig back in 2017, I have been constantly using it in both editing and translation. Ever since, I suggest it to my translators at ProSciEditing.

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak quote

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

MitStanfordHarvardAustralian Nationa UniversityNanyangOxford

I'm breaking down

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

Table of contents

Usage summary

Human-verified examples

Expert writing tips

Linguistic context

Ludwig's wrap-up

Alternative expressions

FAQs

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

"I'm breaking down".

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News & Media

The New York Times

I'm breaking down film, I'm scouting my opponents.

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News & Media

The New York Times

I'm breaking down, I'm just so overjoyed for the lad.

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News & Media

The Guardian

"I'm breaking down crying, ironing these little-bitty-ass pants at five o'clock in the morning, trying to get these kids ready for school.

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News & Media

The New Yorker

"I'm breaking down my dives and working towards the bigger picture, which is the Commonwealth Games," said Daley, who won two titles at Delhi 2010 and has not introduced new dives to his routine since 2011.

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News & Media

BBC

I'm breaking down because this wasn't just political.

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News & Media

HuffPost
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Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Adjacency-based approximation (AA): The optimization problem for cell i is broken down into N neigh (i) sub-problems, where N neigh (i) is the number of non co-sited neighbors of cell i (i.e., the length of N r (i)).

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Science

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

They always call me: 'Oh, Anne, I'm broken down.

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News & Media

The New York Times

I was breaking down my classical voice.

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News & Media

The Guardian - Music

I was breaking down physically.

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News & Media

Los Angeles Times

I thought I was breaking down mentally.

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News & Media

Los Angeles Times
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Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In technical or professional writing, use this phrase to indicate you are simplifying a complex project or data set into manageable components.

Common error

Avoid using "I'm breaking down" to mean your car or machine has stopped working unless you are the one performing the mechanical analysis. If your vehicle has failed, the correct adjectival form is "I'm broken down".

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

92%

Authority and reliability

4.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase serves as the present continuous form of the phrasal verb "break down". It functions as a declarative statement describing an ongoing state or action. According to Ludwig, it is used as an intransitive verb to describe emotional states and as a transitive verb when followed by an object (e.g., "breaking down the film").

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Science

15%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Legal

3%

Technical manuals

2%

Encyclopedias

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

A comprehensive review by Ludwig AI shows that "I'm breaking down" is a highly effective phrase used by professional writers to convey two distinct meanings. On one hand, it is the standard way to express emotional overwhelm and personal vulnerability, as seen in numerous examples from The New York Times. On the other hand, it is frequently employed in analytical contexts to describe the systematic division of complex information into smaller parts. Ludwig confirms its grammatical accuracy and high frequency in reputable publications, making it a reliable choice for both storytelling and professional reporting.

FAQs

How to use "I'm breaking down" in a sentence?

You can use it emotionally, such as "I feel like "I'm breaking down" under the stress," or analytically, like ""I'm breaking down" the annual budget into monthly segments."

What can I say instead of "I'm breaking down"?

Depending on your meaning, you can say "I'm falling apart" for emotional distress or "I'm analyzing" for a logical task.

Which is correct, "I'm breaking down" or "I'm having a breakdown"?

Both are correct, but "I'm breaking down" suggests an ongoing process, while "I'm having a breakdown" often refers to a specific, more acute mental health episode.

What's the difference between "I'm breaking down" and "I'm collapsing"?

"I'm breaking down" often has an emotional or analytical connotation, whereas "I'm collapsing" usually implies a physical fall or a total structural failure.

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Table of contents

Usage summary

Human-verified examples

Expert writing tips

Linguistic context

Ludwig's wrap-up

Alternative expressions

FAQs

Source & Trust

92%

Authority and reliability

4.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences:

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