appear to demonstrate

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "appear to demonstrate" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing evidence or observations that suggest a certain conclusion or finding. Example: "The results of the experiment appear to demonstrate a significant correlation between the two variables."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

What's interesting about the crabs is that they appear to demonstrate two distinct forms of behaviour.

MIT Technology Review

This series of cases might appear to demonstrate that judicial activism has turned the tide on excessive executive power.

The Guardian - Opinion

This organism not appear to demonstrate thigmotropic growth under normal conditions.

Fungal Genetics and Biology

These results appear to demonstrate a broad climosequence effect on loessic soil attributes.

Quaternary International

The ACCIS ion data appear to demonstrate the effect of the ceramic modification process of the metal surfaces.

The Hip Resurfacing Handbook A Practical Guide to the Use and Management of Modern Hip Resurfacings

And written answers to my questions appear to demonstrate that the test is being used in the UK on about 500 people a year.

The Guardian

The United States hasn't really been involved in Afghanistan for some time, and its actions appear to demonstrate a lack of knowledge about the country and the players.

The New Yorker

The two also talked about whether Trump would be "good for women", as he has claimed when pressed about past behavior that would appear to demonstrate the opposite.

The Guardian

The kidnapping cases appear to demonstrate Mr. Assad's intent to prevent Lebanon from becoming a refuge for Syrian dissidents, and a staging ground for plots against his government.

The New York Times

The experimental results show that DrELM outperforms ELM and kernel ELMs, which appear to demonstrate that DrELM could yield predictive features that are suitable for prediction tasks.

Neurocomputing

Therefore, while cannabis users appear to demonstrate enhanced creativity, these effects are an artifact of their heightened levels of openness to experience.

Consciousness and Cognition

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "appear to demonstrate", ensure the evidence you are referencing is substantial enough to warrant the implication of proof, but not so conclusive that a stronger verb like "proves" would be more appropriate.

Common error

Avoid using "appear to demonstrate" when the evidence is merely suggestive or anecdotal. Reserve it for situations where there is a reasonable basis for inferring a demonstration of something.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "appear to demonstrate" functions as a hedge, softening the claim that something definitively proves a point. It indicates that based on available evidence, something seems to be the case, but there is still room for doubt or further investigation. Ludwig AI confirms this by citing several examples where this phrase is used in scientific and news contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

54%

News & Media

39%

Formal & Business

7%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "appear to demonstrate" is a versatile tool for expressing cautious conclusions. As Ludwig AI has indicated with a large set of real-world examples, it functions as a hedge, suggesting that something seems to be the case based on available evidence, without definitively claiming proof. It is commonly used in science and news media and maintains a neutral to formal register. Remember to use ""appear to demonstrate"" when the evidence is strong enough to imply a demonstration, but not so conclusive as to warrant a stronger assertion.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

seem to indicate

Replaces "appear" with "seem" and "demonstrate" with "indicate", slightly softening the implication of proof.

suggest

Simplifies the phrase to a single verb, implying a less direct form of evidence.

indicate

Similar to suggest but with a slightly stronger connotation of pointing towards something.

tend to suggest

Adds the nuance of a tendency, implying a likelihood rather than a certainty.

seem to prove

Substitutes "demonstrate" with "prove", suggesting a stronger level of evidence.

give the impression of showing

Expands the phrase to be more descriptive, focusing on the impression created.

hint at

Implies a subtle or indirect suggestion.

bespeak

A more formal and literary way of saying that something indicates or reveals something.

bear out

Indicates that something confirms or supports a particular conclusion.

would seem to evidence

A more elaborate and formal way of saying something seems to provide evidence for something.

FAQs

How can I use "appear to demonstrate" in a sentence?

Use "appear to demonstrate" when you want to suggest that something seems to show or prove a particular point, but without stating it as an absolute fact. For example, "The study results "appear to demonstrate" a link between diet and health."

What are some alternatives to "appear to demonstrate"?

You can use alternatives like "seem to indicate", "suggest", or "indicate" depending on the context and the level of certainty you want to convey.

Is it better to use "appear to demonstrate" or "demonstrate"?

Use "demonstrate" when you are confident in the evidence and the conclusion. Use "appear to demonstrate" when you want to acknowledge that there might be other explanations or factors to consider.

What's the difference between "appear to demonstrate" and "appear to prove"?

"Appear to prove" suggests a higher level of certainty than ""appear to demonstrate"". While "demonstrate" implies showing evidence, "prove" suggests conclusive evidence.