are there about

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "are there about" is not correct in standard written English.
It may be intended to inquire about an approximate quantity or number of something, but it lacks clarity and proper structure. Example: "Are there about ten people attending the meeting?"

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

And given the tortuous journey the Groce family has had to endure in their decades-long fight to uncover the truth, what lessons are there about access to justice?

The Guardian - Opinion

But within the scenario that she constructs, involving a former slave owner and a group of women accustomed to being served by slaves, the greater implausibility is not the absence of a slave in the house but the absence of thought or talk, on the part of the women who are there, about the politics and the social and domestic changes that the war has imposed.

The New Yorker

So even though the political declarations are there about the need to reduce fossil fuel consumption, actually everybody's mind is somewhere else.

Vice

What lessons are there about wooism that can't be learned from When Harry Met Sally, or the dithering buffoonery of foppish tooth-tent Hugh Grant?

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

I was there about six weeks ago.

The Washington Post

He was there about six weeks.

The Washington Post

"I was there about an hour ago.

The Guardian

Charles I is there, about to be executed.

The New York Times - Arts

"Big": what is there about Winfrey that isn't big?

The New Yorker

But what is there about the Super Bowl itself?

The New York Times

They were there about 10 months before both became restless.

The Washington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for grammatical accuracy, replace the phrase "are there about" with more precise alternatives such as "are there approximately" or "are there roughly".

Common error

Avoid using "are there about" in formal writing. This phrasing is grammatically incorrect and can be easily replaced with alternatives like "are there approximately" or "are there around" to maintain clarity and correctness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "are there about" is an incorrect attempt to inquire about an approximate quantity or number. As Ludwig AI explains, it is not standard English. The correct way to express this idea involves using alternatives like "approximately" or "roughly".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "are there about" is grammatically incorrect and not recommended for use in standard English. Ludwig AI confirms this assessment. While the intention is to inquire about an approximate quantity, it's best to use alternatives like "are there approximately" or "are there roughly" for clarity and correctness. The phrase appears rarely and spans across News & Media and Scientific sources, but its incorrectness makes it unsuitable for formal writing. Opt for more precise and grammatically sound alternatives to avoid confusion.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

are there approximately

Replaces "about" with "approximately" for greater precision and grammatical correctness.

are there roughly

Substitutes "about" with "roughly", offering a more casual yet grammatically sound alternative.

are there around

Uses "around" instead of "about", providing a slightly more informal and acceptable variation.

are there close to

Employs "close to" to indicate an approximation, maintaining grammatical integrity.

are there in the vicinity of

Replaces "about" with a more formal phrase, "in the vicinity of", for similar meaning.

is there an estimate of

Changes the structure to inquire about an estimated number.

what is the approximate number of

Restructures the sentence to ask for the approximate quantity of something.

how many are there, give or take

Asks for a quantity with a margin of error.

are there any or so

Uses "or so" for a casual approximation.

what's a guesstimate of

This is an informal contraction, asking for a guess.

FAQs

How can I correctly ask about an approximate number?

Instead of using the grammatically incorrect phrase "are there about", use phrases like "are there approximately", "are there around", or "are there roughly".

What's a more formal way to ask about an estimated quantity?

For formal contexts, instead of "are there about", consider using "is there an estimate of" or "what is the approximate number of". These phrases provide a more professional tone and maintain grammatical accuracy.

Is "are there about" considered proper English?

No, "are there about" is not considered proper English. It is grammatically incorrect. Use alternatives like "are there approximately" to ensure correctness.

What can I say instead of "are there about" in casual conversation?

In casual conversation, you can use phrases like "are there around" or "are there or so". These alternatives are more relaxed but still convey the intended meaning of approximation.