identify about

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "identify about" is not correct and not usable in written English.
It is unclear and does not convey a coherent meaning in standard English usage. Example: "Can you identify about the main issues we discussed in the meeting?"

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

At best, a morbidity study was only expected to identify about twice as many cases of PD as a mortality study.

BMJ Open

Judge Baxter said she wants to identify about 60 qualified potential jurors.

The New York Times

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

The Guardian

Studies have shown that in general polygraph tests correctly identify about 85% of guilty individuals.

The Guardian

Current clinical guidelines fail to identify about half of the high-risk individuals in the population.

Harvard Business Review

The average turker can identify about 250 images in five minutes.

The New York Times - Science

Several rounds of DNA-based tests have failed to identify about 9,000 of the remains.

The New York Times

The impact threw the man, whom the police did not identify, about three-quarters of a block.

The New York Times

The screening on Kauai helped school officials identify about 200 students (out of 10,000) in need of treatment.

The New York Times

I try to pick out individuals in this male voice choir but only manage to identify about half a dozen.

The Guardian

They visited a Dutch hospital that needed to identify about 250 small, white pills that all looked similar.

MIT Technology Review

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "identify about" in formal writing. Replace it with grammatically correct alternatives like "identify approximately", "identify around", or rephrase the sentence for clarity.

Common error

The word "about" is often misused after "identify". Ensure you are using the correct preposition or rephrasing the sentence to maintain grammatical accuracy. For instance, instead of "identify about", consider "identify the" or "identify aspects of".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "identify about" functions as a verb phrase where "identify" is the verb, but the addition of "about" creates grammatical incorrectness. As Ludwig AI indicates, standard English usage requires alternative constructions.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

36%

News & Media

59%

Wiki

3%

Less common in

Formal & Business

1%

Encyclopedias

1%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "identify about" appears with considerable frequency across various sources, especially in News & Media and Scientific contexts, it's crucial to recognize that it's grammatically incorrect. As Ludwig AI highlights, standard English usage advises against it. For clearer and more accurate communication, consider alternatives such as "identify approximately", "determine the number of", or rephrasing the sentence altogether to avoid misinterpretations. Always prioritize grammatical correctness in professional and academic writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Identify approximately

Replaces "about" with "approximately" to specify an estimated number, improving grammatical correctness but slightly altering the meaning to focus on estimation.

Identify around

Similar to "identify approximately", but using "around" instead. It maintains a casual tone while indicating approximation rather than direction.

Identify regarding

Changes "about" to "regarding" to denote the subject matter being identified, shifting the focus from quantity to relevance.

Identify concerning

Similar to "identify regarding", "concerning" denotes the subject matter being identified. The substitution maintains a formal tone.

Determine approximately

Replaces "identify" with "determine", focusing on establishing something through investigation, and using "approximately" for estimation.

Determine around

Similar to the previous one, but with 'around' that brings a sense of estimation.

Ascertain approximately

Replaces "identify" with "ascertain", indicating a more formal and thorough effort to find something out, paired with approximate quantity.

Recognize approximately

Emphasizes the act of recognizing a rough estimate of something, using "approximately" to maintain the aspect of estimation.

Determine the number of

Focuses on the process of establishing the quantity, making it suitable when precision isn't critical.

Establish concerning

Changes "identify" to "establish" and 'about' with 'concerning', which focuses on verifying or proving something with regard to subject.

FAQs

What is the correct way to use "identify" when referring to an estimate?

Instead of saying "identify about", use phrases like "identify approximately" or "estimate the number of" to maintain grammatical accuracy.

Which is correct, "identify about" or "identify the"?

"Identify the" is generally the correct phrase when you want to specify what is being identified. "Identify about" is considered grammatically incorrect.

What can I say instead of "identify about" to sound more professional?

For a more professional tone, use phrases such as "determine the number of", "ascertain approximately", or simply rephrase to "identify the main points".

Is "identify about" ever grammatically correct?

No, "identify about" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. It's best to use alternative phrases like "recognize approximately" or restructure your sentence.