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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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command approximately

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "command approximately" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It is unclear when to use it, as the combination of "command" and "approximately" does not form a coherent expression. Example: "I need you to command approximately the number of participants for the event." (This example is awkward and unclear.)

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

In a traditionally blue state, the winner of next Tuesday's primary would have the edge over the Republican nominee (most likely businessman and former Bogota, New Jersey, mayor Steve Lonegan). Polls from July showed Booker commanding approximately half of the Democratic primary vote, with his nearest competitors trailing by dozens of percentage points.

News & Media

The Guardian

By bundling loyalty and options like Order & Pay, for example, Starbucks' app commands approximately 19 million monthly active users.

News & Media

Forbes

For example, a gram of cocaine would probably fetch around $15 a gram in the absence of a drug war; it currently commands approximately $150.

News & Media

Los Angeles Times

The temporal location of the phrase commands is similar for the three models, but the A-ME models have an extra peak in the histogram of the accent command positions, approximately at 0.25 s.

With this position, Brownell was in command of approximately thirty establishments located in southern Australia.

We assume that bots will receive the same type of command and receive approximately same volume of information that can be used to differentiate between bots and non-bots.

In five days in July , 1995 Bosnian Serb soldiers under the command of General Ratko Mladić executed approximately eight thousand Bosnian Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica.

News & Media

The New Yorker

Brigadier General Donald MacDonald, who commanded the militia of approximately 1,500 Highlanders, sent an envoy to Moore, demanding that he join the Loyalist cause or be faced with an attack.

Opposite him, Michel Ney, newly in command of his division of approximately 3,000 men, deployed his force around the heights, the so-called Ober-Winterthur, a ring of low-lying hills some 6 km north of the city.

The NARMA-L2 Neural Network is trained off-line to identify the forward dynamics of the UAV model with the redefined output, which is subsequently inverted to force the real output to approximately track a command input.

The command line interface consists of approximately 25 Python scripts; they are documented at http://khmer.readthedocs.org/ under User Documentation.

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Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "command approximately" in formal writing. It's not a recognized or grammatically sound construction. Instead, rephrase your sentence to use more appropriate vocabulary.

Common error

A frequent mistake is pairing "command" with adverbs that soften its meaning. "Command" implies direct authority, while "approximately" suggests estimation. To avoid this, use verbs like "estimate", "oversee", or "manage" when approximation is needed.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

60%

Authority and reliability

1.5/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase "command approximately" is grammatically incorrect and does not function as a standard English phrase. As Ludwig AI highlights, the combination of these words creates an incoherent expression. It doesn't follow standard grammar rules, and there is no clear grammatical function.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "command approximately" is considered grammatically incorrect and lacks clear meaning in English. Ludwig AI confirms this assessment, noting that the combination of "command" and "approximately" does not form a coherent expression. Given its grammatical issues and the absence of usage examples from reliable sources, it is best to avoid using this phrase in any writing context. Instead, consider using alternative phrases that more accurately convey your intended meaning, such as "estimate around" or "roughly manage".

More alternative expressions(6)

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

oversee around

Replaces "command" with "oversee", which suggests guidance rather than direct control, and uses "around" instead of "approximately" for similar meaning.

manage nearly

Substitutes "command" with "manage", indicating responsibility for direction, and "nearly" for "approximately", suggesting a close estimation.

guide roughly

Replaces "command" with "guide", implying influence rather than authority, and "roughly" for "approximately", conveying a similar level of precision.

direct about

Uses "direct" instead of "command", suggesting guidance, and "about" as a substitute for "approximately", indicating an estimation.

administer circa

Replaces "command" with "administer", implying management, and "circa" for "approximately", providing a more formal estimation.

conduct close to

Substitutes "command" with "conduct", indicating the carrying out of a task, and "close to" for "approximately", suggesting near accuracy.

handle almost

Replaces "command" with "handle", implying control in a practical sense, and "almost" for "approximately", suggesting nearness to a value.

lead in the vicinity of

Uses "lead" instead of "command", suggesting guidance, and "in the vicinity of" for "approximately", providing a more descriptive estimation.

control in the neighborhood of

Replaces "command" with "control", maintaining the sense of authority, and uses "in the neighborhood of" instead of "approximately" for a more descriptive estimation.

influence something like

Replaces "command" with "influence", diluting the direct authority, and uses "something like" instead of "approximately" for a casual estimation.

FAQs

How can I rephrase a sentence that incorrectly uses "command approximately"?

Instead of "command approximately", consider using phrases like "estimate around", "roughly manage", or "oversee about" depending on the intended meaning.

What verbs can I use instead of "command" when an estimation is involved?

When precision isn't crucial, replace "command" with verbs like "estimate", "manage", "oversee", or "direct". These verbs allow for the inclusion of adverbs of approximation.

Is it ever correct to use "command" and "approximately" together?

The phrase "command approximately" is generally considered incorrect because "command" implies direct control, which contrasts with the uncertainty suggested by "approximately". It's better to rephrase.

What's a more grammatically sound way to indicate control and estimation in the same sentence?

Instead of using the incorrect phrase, try restructuring your sentence. For instance, instead of "command approximately", you might say "estimate the command" or "approximate the command".

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Most frequent sentences: