it took approx

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it took approx" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to indicate an approximate duration of time taken for an event or task. Example: "It took approx two hours to complete the project."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

It took approx 2 years for a new Ukrainian currency (hryvna) to be designed and printed (in Canada I believe) and put into circulation.

Huffington Post

Similarly, switchgrass pollen longevity decreased rapidly under sunny atmospheric conditions, with a half-life of less than 4·9 min and a complete loss of viability in 20 min. Under cloudy atmospheric conditions, the half-life of switchgrass pollen was more than five-fold longer than under sunny conditions, and it took approx. 150 min to lose viability completely (Ge et al., 2011).

Annals of Botany

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

This process took approx. 5 min per image.

Annals of Botany

The transformation cycle from inoculation to soil took approx. 2 to 3 months.

BMC Plant Biology

Here, the median time to positive blood cultures took approx. 3 weeks (study A, 20.1 days [range, 12 32]; study B, 19.9 days [range, 15 30]; not shown).

BMC Infectious Diseases

To further ensure that the birds would wait in a starting position until the cue presentation had ended, the following procedure was introduced during the regular training sessions: after positioning and baiting of the cups, E stepped back and took a neutral position with her hands behind the back and facing ahead (this took approx. 4 s).

Behavioural Processes

In each session, participants completed a total of 10 blocks of trials (1056 trials in total; each block took approx. 3 minutes to complete) for each stimulus condition (blue, red, and contrast) yielding a total of 1056 trials (2 sessions = 2112 trials).

Behavioral and Brain Functions

Allow your steak to come to room temperature, otherwise it will be tough, this should take approx 1 hour if it was in the fridge.

WikiHow

Transfer to the start point in Kals takes approx 2½ hours by car from Klagenfurt and is not included in the price.

The Guardian - Travel

On the average, each cost function evaluation takes approx. 5 s (Matlab/MEX implementation).

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

The computational effort for the presented case study was reasonable, taking approx. 10-min calculation time with the used software.

Energy, Sustainability and Society

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Be specific when possible. Instead of saying "it took approx 2 hours", if you have more accurate data, use it: "it took 2 hours and 15 minutes".

Common error

Avoid mixing formal and informal language. While "approx" is understood, using it alongside more formal vocabulary can create an inconsistent tone. Choose either fully formal or informal language.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it took approx" functions as a verbal phrase indicating the duration required for an action or process. It combines a verb ("took") with an adverbial modifier ("approx") to express an estimation of time. Ludwig AI confirms its usability.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

Wiki

30%

News & Media

30%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "it took approx" is a phrase used to estimate time, but it's more appropriate for informal contexts due to the abbreviation "approx". Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is usable, but also suggests that using the full word "approximately" is preferable for formal writing. Usage is common in science, news and media, and wiki sources. For professional or academic writing, it's better to opt for phrases like "it took about" or "it took approximately" to maintain a consistent and professional tone.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it took approximately

Replaces "approx" with its full form, adding a touch of formality.

it took about

Uses "about" to express approximation, offering a slightly more casual tone.

it required roughly

Substitutes "took" with "required" and "approx" with "roughly", changing the verb and adverb.

it needed nearly

Employs "needed" instead of "took" and "nearly" in place of "approx", altering both the verb and the approximation.

it spanned almost

Replaces "took" with "spanned" and "approx" with "almost", changing the verb and adverb to describe duration.

it extended around

Uses "extended" instead of "took" and "around" in place of "approx", altering the verb and adverb.

the duration was roughly

Restructures the sentence to emphasize duration, using "roughly" for approximation.

the process lasted about

Changes the focus to the process, using "lasted" and "about" to describe its length approximately.

it consumed close to

Alters the verb to "consumed" and uses "close to" to indicate an approximate amount of time.

the undertaking required in the neighborhood of

Significantly restructures the sentence to indicate that the task needed roughly a set amount of time

FAQs

How can I use "it took approx" in a sentence?

"It took approx" is used to estimate the duration of an event. For example, "it took approx 2 hours to drive to the airport" indicates an estimated travel time.

What can I say instead of "it took approx"?

Alternatives include "it took about", "it took approximately", or "it needed roughly" depending on the context and level of formality.

Is "it took approx" grammatically correct?

While commonly understood, "it took approx" is an abbreviation. Using "it took approximately" is more grammatically formal and appropriate for academic or professional writing.

In what situations is it appropriate to use "it took approx"?

The phrase "it took approx" is suitable for informal communication, such as personal emails or casual conversations. For formal writing, use "it took approximately" instead.