it approximately

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it approximately" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used incorrectly as it lacks a clear context or structure. Example: "The project will take it approximately two weeks to complete."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

The Central Asia Rally is in its infancy, but it approximately follows the ancient silk route, through Uzbekistan's market towns of Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand, up into the mountains of Tajikistan.

The Guardian - Travel

Its mass (about 1% the mass of Earth's Moon) is enough for its gravity to make it approximately spherical.

The Economist

The company holds $112.8 million in cash on its balance sheet, giving it approximately three years before it needs to raise more money to continue operations.

Forbes

The "Heart of Michigan" made it approximately two hours into the New Year before its first homicide.

Huffington Post

It approximately goes from 11,000 BC, around the recently proposed time for building the Sphinx, to 15,000 AD".

The Guardian - Arts

They were fragile things; if one was dropped, it was likely to break, forcing users to buy a new one – because, of course, the shop would say it "wasn't worth" repairing it – approximately once a year.

The Guardian - Opinion

To exploit the Yankees' potential, the team proposed to start a network with the International Management Group that would guarantee it approximately $900 million in television revenue through 2010.

The New York Times - Sports

It's a city of vertiginously steep hills built on the banks of the Erie Barge Canal--Lockport's predominant feature--which cuts through it in a deep swath and divides it approximately in two.

The New Yorker

The children have already sold off a large part of it, approximately $600 million worth, to pay the taxes they owed, according to their lawyer, Ralph E. Lerner.

The New York Times - Arts

It approximately took around 72 hrs. to dock 1035 compounds.

Journal of Cheminformatics

It is noted that it approximately follows a Gaussian distribution.

EURASIP Journal on Information Security

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "it approximately", ensure that the sentence structure clearly indicates what "it" refers to. A more direct construction improves readability. For example, prefer "The cost is approximately $100" over "It approximately costs $100."

Common error

Avoid using "it approximately" when the referent of "it" is unclear. This can lead to confusion. Always make sure the pronoun's antecedent is explicitly stated in the sentence or is immediately obvious from the context.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it approximately" functions as an adverbial modifier, intending to qualify the verb or action it describes. However, Ludwig AI indicates that its usage is often grammatically questionable and lacks clarity in standard written English. While frequently used, the construction often creates awkward phrasing.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

42%

News & Media

37%

Wiki

3%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

While the phrase "it approximately" is frequently encountered, Ludwig AI suggests it is not grammatically sound and often leads to awkward sentence constructions. Its intended function is to provide an estimation or approximation, commonly found in science and news contexts. However, clarity and grammatical correctness can be improved by restructuring sentences to place "approximately" more effectively or by using alternatives like "it roughly" or "it about". Prioritizing clear pronoun references and avoiding vague constructions will enhance the overall quality of writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it roughly

Replaces "approximately" with "roughly", suggesting a less precise estimation.

it about

Uses "about" instead of "approximately" to indicate a general estimation.

it nearly

Substitutes "approximately" with "nearly" to convey closeness to a specific value.

it practically

Replaces "approximately" with "practically", implying the result is almost the same.

it virtually

Uses "virtually" to indicate the result is close enough for practical purposes.

it estimated

Rephrases using the verb "estimated" to show that a value is being approximated.

it in the neighborhood of

Offers a more descriptive way of indicating approximation, suggesting a range.

it in the vicinity of

Similar to 'in the neighborhood of', conveying a sense of nearness to a specific value.

it close to

Uses "close to" to express proximity to an exact figure.

it give or take

Emphasizes that there might be a slight variation around the given value.

FAQs

What does "it approximately" mean?

"It approximately" means something is nearly or about a certain amount or value, but not exactly. It's used to indicate an estimation or close value.

How can I use "it approximately" in a sentence?

While grammatically questionable, "it approximately" is often used to indicate that something is close to a certain value. However, restructuring the sentence for clarity is recommended. Instead of "It approximately costs $50", consider "The cost is approximately $50" or use alternatives like "it roughly" or "it about".

What are some alternatives to "it approximately"?

Alternatives include "it roughly", "it about", "it nearly", or rephrasing the sentence to use "approximately" directly with the subject.

Is it better to say "it approximately" or "approximately it"?

Neither "it approximately" nor "approximately it" is grammatically standard. A better approach is to restructure the sentence for clarity, such as "It is approximately..." or "The value is approximately...".