appears that

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "appears that" is not correct in standard written English; it should be "it appears that." You can use it when introducing a statement or observation that seems to be true based on available information.
Example: "It appears that the project will be completed ahead of schedule."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

It certainly appears that way.

The New York Times

"Sometimes it appears that way.

The New York Times - Sports

It only appears that way.

Huffington Post

It certainly appears that way though.

Huffington Post

Well, it appears that day is here.

Huffington Post

But it now appears that was premature.

Huffington Post

It appears that Smithfield agrees.

The New York Times

It appears that I'm wrong.

The New York Times

It appears that Morgan conceded.

The New York Times

It appears that history will repeat itself".

The New York Times - Books

Now it appears that Republicans agree.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the correct form, "it appears that", in formal writing to maintain grammatical accuracy and clarity.

Common error

Avoid starting a sentence with "Appears that" as it's grammatically incorrect. The subject "it" is essential for proper sentence structure: use "it appears that" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "appears that" functions as an incomplete introductory clause. According to Ludwig AI, the correct phrase should be "it appears that", which serves to introduce a statement that is based on observation or deduction, but lacks certainty.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Academia

40%

Science

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "appears that" is generally considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. The correct form is "it appears that". Ludwig AI's analysis underscores this point, highlighting that while the incorrect phrase does appear in various sources, it should be avoided in formal writing. The function of the corrected phrase is to introduce a statement based on observation, expressing a degree of uncertainty. Alternatives like "it seems that" or "it is apparent that" can be used. Always remember to include the "it" for grammatical accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it seems that

Replaces "appears" with "seems", maintaining the same meaning but with a slightly different nuance.

it would appear that

Adds a degree of formality and emphasis to the observation using the correct form.

it would seem that

Adds a degree of formality and emphasis to the observation.

it is apparent that

Shifts the focus to the clarity or obviousness of the observation.

it is evident that

Highlights the clear and undeniable nature of the observation.

it suggests that

Indicates that the observation points towards a particular conclusion.

it indicates that

Similar to "suggests that", but may imply a more direct connection.

it would suggest that

More formal version of 'it suggests that'.

it looks like

A more informal way of saying something seems to be the case.

it transpires that

Implies discovery of previously unknown information.

FAQs

What is the correct way to use the phrase?

The grammatically correct way to use this phrase is to include the pronoun "it" at the beginning: "it appears that".

What can I say instead of "appears that"?

You can use alternatives like "it seems that", "it is apparent that", or "it indicates that".

Is "appears that" formal or informal?

While the corrected version, "it appears that", is suitable for formal contexts, the uncorrected form is generally considered incorrect and should be avoided in formal writing.

Which is correct, "appears that" or "it appears that"?

"it appears that" is the grammatically correct form. Omitting the "it" makes the phrase grammatically incorrect.