appears incorrect

USAGE SUMMARY

"appears incorrect" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when expressing doubt or uncertainty about the accuracy of information or a statement. For example: "The data presented in the report appears incorrect." Alternative expressions include "seems wrong" and "looks inaccurate."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

Somebody had announced that Mr. Clinton "had finished his Inaugural Address at four in the morning," the column continued, "which appears incorrect".

The New York Times

At least for A. mexicanus, Darwin's explanation appears incorrect.

Evolution: Education and Outreach

Why are people using Bjorken energy density when it appears incorrect based on observed rapidity distribution?

Duke University

Therefore the nominal IMB of the Trotignon et al. (2006) model appears incorrect tailward of X = −2 for solar minimum conditions.

Earth, Planets and Space

If they were of equal value, then a slightly improved version of the legal career would be better than the musical career, but this judgment appears incorrect.

SEP

As noted in the initial discussion of the example, if the legal and musical careers were of equal value, then a slightly improved version of the legal career would be better than the musical career, but this judgment appears incorrect.

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

The therapist warned the oncologist that the treatment position appeared incorrect, but nothing was done about it.

The New York Times

The consistent relationship between the gene expression patterns and the tissue of origin allowed us to recognize outliers whose previous classification appeared incorrect.

Stanford University

We located the UCSC aligned regions in the genomes of species where the alignment appeared incorrect, and confirmed that the predicted coding sequence of the adjacent gene was Hsp70 through comparisons to diagnostic sites [71].

Plosone

When the models appeared incorrect based on knowledge of related sequences from the same gene family or superfamily, tBLASTN searches were done directly on the scaffold sequences.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

The aceE and tpiA genes identified as essential in Figure two of [ 36] are judged nonessential by [ 32] and consequently by [ 6], and were predicted as nonessential by EcoCyc 18.0 GEM, but these nonessentiality conclusions appear incorrect based on conventional experiments described in the literature, and are thus included in this table.

BMC Systems Biology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "appears incorrect" when you want to express a polite disagreement or suggest that something might not be accurate without being confrontational.

Common error

Avoid using "appears incorrect" when you have definitive proof of an error. In such cases, a more direct statement of fact is appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "appears incorrect" functions as a subjective assessment, expressing an opinion or observation that something is likely not correct. As seen in Ludwig's examples, it's used to question data, calculations, or statements without asserting absolute certainty. Ludwig AI confirms this usage.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

30%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "appears incorrect" is a useful phrase for expressing doubt or disagreement in a polite and professional manner. Ludwig's analysis reveals that the phrase is grammatically correct and commonly used in scientific, academic, and news contexts. While alternatives like "seems wrong" or "might be mistaken" exist, this phrase strikes a balance between conveying your concern about potential inaccuracies without being overly confrontational. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase is suitable for expressing uncertainty or suggesting a polite correction.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

seems to be wrong

Replaces "appears" with "seems", softening the tone while maintaining the core meaning.

seems inaccurate

Substitutes "incorrect" with "inaccurate", which provides a nuanced difference in the degree of wrongness, focusing on precision.

is seemingly wrong

Adds "seemingly" for emphasis, highlighting that the incorrectness is based on appearances.

is allegedly incorrect

Uses "allegedly" to indicate that the incorrectness is claimed but not yet proven.

is supposedly incorrect

Indicates that the incorrectness is based on hearsay or common belief, which may not be accurate.

is possibly wrong

Replaces "appears" with "is" and "incorrect" with "wrong", adds "possibly" indicating a level of uncertainty.

might be mistaken

Shifts the focus to the possibility of error rather than a definite incorrectness.

could be flawed

Emphasizes a potential defect or weakness in something, leading to its incorrectness.

may not be right

Uses a more casual tone to express that something is potentially incorrect.

is open to doubt

Suggests that the validity of something is questionable and not firmly established.

FAQs

How can I use "appears incorrect" in a sentence?

You can use "appears incorrect" to express doubt or disagreement in a polite way. For example: "The data presented in the report "appears incorrect"." or "The calculation "appears incorrect", could you double-check it?"

What are some alternatives to "appears incorrect"?

Alternatives include "seems wrong", "seems inaccurate", or "might be mistaken". The best choice depends on the specific context and the degree of certainty you want to convey.

When is it appropriate to use "appears incorrect" versus a more direct statement?

"Appears incorrect" is best used when you suspect an error but lack definitive proof. If you have concrete evidence, a direct statement like "is incorrect" is more appropriate.

Is "appears incorrect" formal or informal?

"Appears incorrect" is generally considered neutral and can be used in both formal and informal settings, though it is more common in professional and academic contexts.