it declines by

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it declines by" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing a decrease in quantity, value, or quality in various contexts, such as economics, statistics, or general observations. Example: "The company's profits decline by 10% each quarter, indicating a need for strategic changes."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The estimated real wage cyclicality falls only by 15%% while it declines by almost half for workers with more than 6 years of tenure.

SERIEs

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

(In fact, it declined by 3.3 percent).

The New York Times

Over the week it declined by 2.7%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 3.1%.

The Economist

In January, it declined by 10.3% compared with the previous year.

The Economist

In one quarter it declined by 21,000 and other quarters showed similar falls.

The Guardian - Business

That still left Japan with a trade surplus of 196.5 billion yen ($2.4 billion), although it declined by 78.9 percent.

The New York Times

In contrast, the number of impoverished white children grew by 57percentt, and for Asian children, it declined by 10percentt.

The New York Times

As it declined by 0.5% in the previous three months, it is flatlining, to use the jargon.

The Guardian

First, it increased by 3.1% in June; then it declined by 2.9% in July; it has subsequently risen by 0.5% in August.

The Economist

By contrast, it declined by only 1.5 points among 25-34 year-olds and by 0.4 points for older people up to the state-pension age.

The Economist

He said that while ragwort may be more obvious on roadside verges in some areas, it declined by 39% in England between 1998 and 2007.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When reporting percentage changes, always specify the unit (e.g., "percent", "percentage points") for clarity, especially in technical contexts.

Common error

Avoid assuming that a "decline of X%" followed by an "increase of X%" returns to the original value; these percentages are calculated from different bases, leading to a net change.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it declines by" serves as a verbal phrase indicating a decrease in a specific quantity or value. As confirmed by Ludwig, this construction is grammatically correct and widely used. Examples from Ludwig showcase its applicability across various domains.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

46%

Formal & Business

4%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "it declines by" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression to denote a decrease in a specific value or quantity. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability. The phrase is most commonly found in news and media and scientific contexts, maintaining a neutral to professional register. When using this phrase, ensure clarity by specifying the units of measurement and avoid common misinterpretations of percentage changes. Consider alternatives like "it decreases by" or "it falls by" for stylistic variation. Overall, "it declines by" is a reliable choice for reporting reductions across diverse domains.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it decreases by

Replaces "declines" with the synonym "decreases", maintaining the same grammatical structure.

it diminishes by

Substitutes "declines" with "diminishes", offering a slightly more formal tone.

it reduces by

Uses "reduces" in place of "declines", providing a more direct and simpler alternative.

it drops by

Replaces "declines" with "drops", suggesting a more sudden or rapid decrease.

it falls by

Uses "falls" instead of "declines", similar to "drops" but can imply a more gradual decrease.

a decline of

Restructures the sentence to focus on "decline" as a noun, changing the word order.

it sees a reduction of

Uses a more verbose structure with "sees a reduction", adding emphasis.

there is a decrease of

Changes the sentence to an existential construction, focusing on the existence of a decrease.

it experiences a drop of

Similar to "it drops by" but expressed in a more formal way.

it undergoes a decline of

Emphasizes the process of declining, using "undergoes" to indicate a change over time.

FAQs

How can I use "it declines by" in a sentence?

Use "it declines by" to describe a decrease in value, quantity, or quality. For example: "Due to the economic recession, the company's profits "it declines by" 15% this year".

What are some alternatives to "it declines by"?

Alternatives include "it decreases by", "it reduces by", or "it falls by", depending on the specific context and desired level of formality.

Which is correct, "it declines by" or "it decreases by"?

Both "it declines by" and "it decreases by" are grammatically correct and largely interchangeable. The choice often depends on stylistic preference or the nuance you wish to convey.

What's the difference between "it declines by" and "a decline of"?

"It declines by" is a verbal phrase describing the action of decreasing, while "a decline of" uses "decline" as a noun to refer to the amount or instance of decrease. For example: "The market value "it declines by" 20%" versus "There was "a decline of" 20% in market value".