citing to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "citing to" is not correct in written English.
You should use a phrase such as "citing" or "referring to" instead. For example, "John mentioned, referring to the article, that the study's findings were inconclusive".

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

It will also weaken a competitive advantage Epoch Capital Partners had been citing to potential clients.

The New York Times

They won't say which laws they are citing to stop me.

The Guardian

This year we filed a shareholder resolution against Chevron and Exxon, citing to these facts – if we are committing to a 2-degree scenario, the majority of fossil fuel resources cannot be burned.

The Guardian

This was necessary because of arcane obstacles and rules that bureaucrats kept citing to block it, he says.

Forbes

That is the same Democratic Charter that regional diplomats are now citing to demand that Zelaya be returned to power despite his willful abuses of the "separation of powers" enshrined in that document.

Forbes

Soon Condon was citing to material Russell and Krieger didn't even remember having written.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

But was the report cited to manipulate the evidence?

The New York Times

What specific evidence is cited to support that claim?

The New York Times

Hitler's vices are sometimes cited to explain his atrocities.

SEP

Empirical evidence from other sources is cited to lend support to this argument.

Reliability Engineering & System Safety

A variety of methodologic problems have been cited to explain these discrepancies.

European Journal of Cancer

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "citing to". The correct form is simply "citing" or, depending on the context, "referring to."

Common error

A common mistake is adding unnecessary prepositions after verbs. In the case of "citing", the preposition "to" is redundant. Saying simply "citing" is grammatically correct and more concise.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "citing to" attempts to function as a present participle modifying a noun or pronoun. However, it is grammatically incorrect. As Ludwig AI explains, the correct usage is simply "citing".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "citing to" is considered grammatically incorrect. As Ludwig AI points out, the correct form is simply "citing". The phrase attempts to convey the act of referencing or quoting a source, but the addition of the preposition "to" is unnecessary and constitutes a grammatical error. While examples can be found in various contexts, primarily News & Media and Science, it is advisable to avoid this phrasing in formal writing and speech. It's better to use "citing" or other alternatives like "referring to" to maintain grammatical accuracy and clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

citing

Removes the unnecessary preposition "to", correcting the grammatical error.

referencing

A more concise version of "referring to", directly indicating the act of making a reference.

referring to

Replaces "citing" with a synonym that maintains a similar meaning of directing attention towards something.

quoting

Emphasizes the act of directly reproducing someone else's words.

mentioning

Offers a more general way of indicating something was brought up, without the formal connotation of "citing".

alluding to

Suggests a more indirect reference, where the connection isn't explicitly stated.

attributing to

Specifies the action of assigning a cause or origin to something, maintaining a formal tone.

ascribing to

Similar to "attributing to", emphasizing the act of assigning a quality or characteristic.

crediting to

Highlights the act of giving recognition or praise for something.

pointing to

Implies directing attention towards something as evidence or support.

FAQs

Is "citing to" grammatically correct?

No, the correct form is simply "citing". The addition of "to" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided.

What is the difference between "citing" and "referring to"?

While often interchangeable, "citing" typically implies a more formal or direct reference to a specific source, while "referring to" can be a more general mention.

What can I use instead of "citing to"?

Use "citing" or, depending on the context, consider phrases like "referring to", "mentioning", or "alluding to".

How do I properly use "citing" in a sentence?

Example: "The author supported their argument by citing several studies". Avoid adding the extra preposition "to".