back to topic

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "back to topic" is not entirely correct in standard written English; it is more commonly expressed as "back to the topic." You can use it when you want to redirect a conversation or discussion to the main subject after a digression.
Example: "Now that we've discussed the side issues, let's get back to the topic of our main agenda."

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

To that end, Mr. Bush on Friday, in a hint of how he is approaching the issue, went from playing down the numbers to quickly turning back to Topic A. The stream of e-mail messages from his campaign to reporters focused on terror, not the economy.

The New York Times

Prompts were only given when the interviewer deemed that it is necessary to encourage the conversation back to topic or to address a certain issue.

BMC Health Services Research

Back to topic.

WikiHow

Perhaps prepare some notes before your talk to stay focused and bring you back to topic.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Keneally's mind is constantly skipping between themes, back to topics he touched on earlier, and later he tells us "if you're a cryptic crossword aficionado, you know how much comes from the subconscious".

The Guardian - Books

The presentation will be cumulative in character: in each section we will come back to topics dealt with in previous ones (if any), sometimes in order to compare the current options available to a fact-theorist to the old ones.

SEP

Back to topics that Carousell does talk about, and global expansion remains something of interest to the team — which hails from Singapore's NUS; making them arguably Singapore's first home-grown startup.

TechCrunch

There are celebratory songs, there are songs that are meant to comfort you, there are songs that are political or angry, but I seem to keep coming back to topics over and over again.

Huffington Post

A top aide to Hillary Rodham Clinton says the campaign expects to "turn the page" on talk about the former Secretary of State's private email server in the coming weeks, as voters take the conversation back to topics they care more about.

Los Angeles Times

A booster module, comprised of a summary of the key information points from the program and links back to topics and worksheets, is accessible one month later.

BMC Cancer

In conversations, we embed reminders of the key topic at hand, referring back to the topic of the question.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "back to the topic" or more formal alternatives like "returning to the subject" to smoothly guide a conversation back to its main focus after digressions.

Common error

Avoid using "back to topic" in highly formal writing. Opt for phrases like "returning to the subject" or "reverting to the matter at hand" for a more professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "back to topic" functions as a directive, typically used to guide a conversation or discussion back to its original subject after a detour. It serves to refocus attention and maintain coherence. As indicated by Ludwig AI, "back to the topic" is more grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "back to topic" serves to redirect a conversation or discussion to its original subject, especially after digressions. While grammatically acceptable, Ludwig AI suggests that it is more correct to say "back to the topic". It is most appropriate in informal contexts, with more formal alternatives such as "returning to the subject" being better suited for professional or academic settings. It appears across various sources including news, science and wikis, but is relatively rare compared to other similar phrases.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

returning to the subject

More formal and emphasizes a deliberate return.

let's get back on track

Suggests a course correction after a deviation.

reverting to the matter at hand

Formal and highlights the importance of the original issue.

getting back to the main point

Focuses on the core argument or idea.

coming back to the central issue

Emphasizes the importance of the main issue.

turning our attention back

Shifts focus back to a previous subject.

focusing back on the subject

Highlights the act of concentrating again.

returning to the original focus

Underscores the initial area of concentration.

back to the matter at hand

Similar in usage but slightly more emphatic about importance.

let's refocus on the topic

Emphasizes the need to concentrate again.

FAQs

What's the difference between "back to topic" and "back to the topic"?

While "back to topic" is understandable, the more grammatically correct and widely accepted form is "back to the topic". The inclusion of "the" specifies the particular subject being discussed.

What can I say instead of "back to topic"?

You can use alternatives like "returning to the subject", "let's get back on track", or "reverting to the matter at hand" depending on the context.

How can I use "back to topic" in a sentence?

You can use "back to topic" to redirect a conversation after a digression, such as "Okay, now that we've covered that, back to topic: the budget."

When is it appropriate to use "back to topic"?

It's appropriate in informal conversations or writings. For more formal settings, consider using alternatives like "returning to the subject" or "let's revert to".