formulate how

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "formulate how" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when you want to express the process of creating or developing a method or plan for something. Example: "We need to formulate how we will approach the new marketing strategy to ensure its success."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

Making the journey to Vietnam was important for me, but at the time I couldn't quite formulate how.

The New York Times

Here we formulate how to allocate optimally conservation resources between regions identified as priorities for conservation the 'conservation resource allocation problem'.

Nature

Therefore, we cannot formulate how kurtosis is changed via DS for signals with interchannel correlation.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

The book focuses on fundamental uncertainty called Knightian uncertainty, where the probability distribution governing uncertainty is unknown, and it provides the reader with methods to formulate how pessimism and optimism act in an economy in a strict and unified way.

Springer

Majority understand there is a trend, and some understand the future skills required to facilitate the transition, but many struggles to formulate how to meld humanity and technology together.

Forbes

As head of ORD, Burke would be responsible for administering a number of grant programs and EPA's in-house laboratories, as well as helping formulate how the agency should use science from risk assessment to analytical tools to modeling to toxicology research to guide its policies.

Science Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

During the coming off-season, fans and pundits will take turns formulating how to improve the team.

The New York Times

As Little League administrators formulated how to stop abuse of the age limit, Keener said Raiford suggested a way for the suburban-leaning organization to look at the situation.

The New York Times - Sports

Yet enough is common to all theories of mind to permit certain other questions to be formulated: How does the mind operate?

Britannica

The two-year-old Hispanic Health Council, which also has offices in Bridgeport, gathered more than 100 Hispanic leaders from across the state to address Latino health needs by creating an agenda that, among other things, formulated how to have a louder voice in government.

The New York Times

It's never too soon to start thinking about your leadership experience and formulating how you will answer interview questions about the topic.

Science Magazine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "formulate how", ensure that the context clearly indicates the specific method, plan, or approach being developed. This helps avoid ambiguity and ensures clarity in your writing.

Common error

Avoid embedding "formulate how" within overly complex sentences. Break down long sentences to improve readability and ensure the meaning is clear. For example, instead of "The team struggled to formulate how they could implement the changes, which proved difficult", try "The team struggled to formulate how to implement the changes. The implementation proved difficult".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "formulate how" functions as a verb phrase introducing an indirect question. It expresses the process of devising or creating a method or plan. As Ludwig AI explains, it's a correct expression, although there might be more concise alternatives depending on the context.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

40%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "formulate how" is a grammatically correct expression used to describe the process of developing a method, plan, or strategy. While Ludwig AI confirms its validity, alternative phrases such as "determine how" or "devise how" might offer more concision and clarity depending on the context. The phrase appears most frequently in scientific and news media contexts, suggesting a neutral to formal register. When using "formulate how", ensure the sentence structure remains clear and avoid overly complex constructions. Using alternative expressions like "how to formulate" or "formulate a way to" can enhance readability and impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

determine how

Focuses on the process of finding out or establishing a method.

devise how

Emphasizes the act of inventing or creating a specific method.

establish how

Highlights the creation of a system or set of rules.

develop the way

Focuses on expanding or improving upon an existing method.

create a method for

Highlights the design and creation of a formal process.

design a plan for

Emphasizes the planning stage of creating an approach.

work out how

Suggests a problem-solving approach to find a method.

figure out how

Implies an element of discovery in finding a solution.

conceptualize how

Focuses on forming an idea or mental image of the process.

structure the means to

Highlights the organization and arrangement of resources.

FAQs

How can I use "formulate how" in a sentence?

You can use "formulate how" when you need to explain the process of creating a method or plan. For example, "Scientists are working to formulate how to combat the new virus effectively".

What are some alternatives to "formulate how"?

Alternatives include "determine how", "devise how", or "establish how", each offering a slightly different emphasis on the process of creation or discovery.

Is it better to use "formulate how" or "how to formulate"?

While both are grammatically correct, "how to formulate" is often more concise and direct, especially in instructional contexts. "Formulate how" may be more suitable when discussing the overall process or strategy.

Which is correct, "formulate how" or "formulate a way to"?

"Formulate a way to" is often clearer because it avoids the potential ambiguity of "formulate how". Consider the context to determine which phrasing is most effective. You might also consider "develop the way".