identifies about

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "identifies about" is not correct and not usable in written English.
It is unclear and does not convey a proper meaning, as "identifies" typically does not pair with "about." Example: "The report identifies the key issues."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

19 human-written examples

JPAC identifies about 110 remains each year.

The New Yorker

The plan identifies about 150 items for each of 20 religions or religious categories.

The New York Times

The unit responsible for all recoveries, the Joint P.O.W./M.I.A. Accounting Command, identifies about 75 remains a year.

The New York Times

Of 45 million smokers in this country, the American Lung Association identifies about 33 million as non-Hispanic whites and 5 million as African-American.

The New York Times

And he names names: He specifically identifies about a dozen of the plainclothes guards who keep visitors away, often violently, from Dongshigu village.

The New York Times

It consists of a table comparing Hayden's testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee with information from the C.I.A.'s records, and identifies about thirty specific instances in which the former is directly contradicted by the latter.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

41 human-written examples

We have already identified about half that saving.

The Guardian

Initially, Angie was identifying about 25 hot leads per week.

Harvard Business Review

City officials have identified about 50 structures with asbestos that need to come down.

The New York Times

"They were able to identify about 75 by name," he said.

The Guardian

The former official said the chart identified about 60 probable members of Al Qaeda.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "identifies about" in formal writing. Opt for more precise language such as "identifies approximately" or rephrase the sentence for clarity. For example, instead of "The study identifies about 50 cases", write "The study identifies approximately 50 cases" or "The study identifies around 50 cases".

Common error

A common mistake is using "identifies about" when a more accurate estimate or specific number is available. Strive for precision by providing exact figures when possible or using phrases like "identifies approximately" if an estimate is necessary.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "identifies about" functions as a verb phrase attempting to quantify or estimate what is being identified. However, according to Ludwig AI, this construction is not grammatically correct and its usage should be avoided. It tries to combine the action of identifying with an approximation, but the combination is awkward.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

54%

Science

36%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "identifies about" is used to estimate quantities when identifying items. However, Ludwig AI indicates that this phrase is grammatically incorrect. While it appears in some news and media contexts, it's advisable to use more precise alternatives such as "identifies approximately" or rephrase the sentence entirely for better clarity and grammatical correctness. Strive for precision and accuracy in your writing to maintain credibility and professionalism. Stick with reliable sources and accepted grammatical structures. The most authoritative sources that contain this expression are The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Guardian.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

identifies approximately

Replaces "about" with "approximately" offering a more precise estimation.

identifies roughly

Substitutes "about" with "roughly", indicating an approximate figure.

estimates that it identifies

Adds an estimation clause to clarify the identifying action.

determines around

Uses "determines" instead of "identifies" and "around" instead of "about", slightly changing the focus to determination.

finds approximately

Replaces "identifies" with "finds" and "about" with "approximately", shifting the emphasis to discovery.

pinpoints nearly

Changes "identifies" to "pinpoints" and "about" to "nearly", suggesting a more precise but still inexact identification.

locates around

Uses "locates" instead of "identifies", focusing on the physical finding, and "around" in place of "about".

classifies approximately

Replaces "identifies" with "classifies", highlighting categorization rather than simple identification, and uses "approximately".

detects roughly

Changes "identifies" to "detects", focusing on detection, and "about" to "roughly".

recognizes nearly

Replaces "identifies" with "recognizes", emphasizing the act of recognizing, and "about" with "nearly".

FAQs

What is a more grammatically correct way to say "identifies about"?

Alternatives include using "identifies approximately", "identifies around", or rephrasing to use "estimates" or "determines".

Is it ever correct to use "identifies about" in formal writing?

While you might find it in some informal contexts, it's generally better to avoid "identifies about" in formal writing. Opt for more precise and grammatically sound alternatives.

How can I rephrase a sentence that uses "identifies about" to be more clear?

Instead of saying "The report identifies about 20 issues", try "The report identifies approximately 20 issues" or "The report identifies around 20 issues". Alternatively, you could say "The report estimates that it identifies 20 issues".

What's the difference between saying "identifies about" and "identifies approximately"?

While both suggest an estimation, "identifies approximately" is grammatically correct and more formal than "identifies about", which is considered incorrect. "Approximately" adds a level of precision and professionalism.