look like substantial

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "look like substantial" is not correct in English.
It seems to be an incomplete expression and lacks clarity in its intended meaning. Example: "The evidence presented in the report does not look like substantial proof of the claims made."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

With his belted white flannel Dominican robe, the hood of which falls back on his shoulders and at the belt of which hang his beads, he wears a beret, heavy shoes, and what look like substantial blue golf stockings.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

"We may have some minor damage, but it doesn't look like anything substantial".

The New York Times

"Looks like hay.

The New Yorker

This was several days ago, and the shantytown already looked like something substantial, and maybe permanent.

The New Yorker

Update: Privalia's CrunchBase entry has also now been updated to state the company in fact raised $189.19M in six rounds of funding, so it looks like a substantial ROI after all….

TechCrunch

This assumption may look like too strong.

Genome Biology and Evolution

The positive changes in San Francisco provide a glimpse of what the future might look like if Washington passes substantial health reform this year.

The New York Times

David Butter explained that in the wake of the devastating terror attacks in Paris, politicians in Washington, Paris, and Moscow are desperate to look like they are taking substantial action against IS.

Vice

Later he would look like the warm-and-substantial guy in the Marion Ettlinger photograph — large, well groomed, handsome and tanned, rugged-featured in an almost Indian way, and sporting a good haircut.

The New Yorker

Even if you follow all this advice, I still can't guarantee that you'll get accepted to all of your dream graduate programs that depends on the quality of all the work you've done up to now but I can guarantee that your personal statement will improve and that you will look like a more authentic and substantial candidate.

Science Magazine

These differences in turnover rate could be substantial enough to look like compartmentalization, and could therefore be contributing to the amount of blood/lung compartmentalization detected.

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing something that has the qualities of being substantial, use phrases such as "appears substantial" or "seems substantial" for grammatical accuracy.

Common error

Avoid using "look like" directly followed by an adjective; instead, use "looks like" with a noun phrase or rephrase to use "appears" or "seems" with an adjective.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "look like substantial" functions incorrectly as it attempts to link a verb of appearance ("look like") directly with an adjective ("substantial"). According to Ludwig AI, this phrase structure is not grammatically sound, requiring a noun phrase instead.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Academia

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "look like substantial" is considered grammatically incorrect. While it aims to convey that something resembles something significant, its structure is flawed, requiring a noun phrase after "look like" rather than an adjective. As Ludwig AI indicates, alternative phrases such as "appears substantial" or "seems substantial" are more appropriate. Although examples can be found, this construction should be avoided, especially in formal writing, to ensure grammatical accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

appear to be significant

Focuses on the appearance of importance rather than a direct resemblance.

seem to be considerable

Highlights the impression of being noteworthy or large in quantity or size.

give the impression of being important

Emphasizes the perceived significance rather than the actual substance.

have the semblance of significance

Implies a superficial appearance of importance that may lack depth.

present as noteworthy

Highlights the way something is presented or perceived as remarkable.

suggest importance

Indicates that something hints at or implies a significant nature.

convey a sense of substance

Focuses on communicating an impression of depth or solidness.

project an image of significance

Highlights the intentional creation of an appearance of importance.

strike as meaningful

Emphasizes the immediate impression of something being relevant or important.

feel like something major

Informal alternative that conveys a sense of importance.

FAQs

How can I properly use "look like" in a sentence?

Use "look like" to compare the appearance of something to a noun. For example, "That cloud looks like a dragon."

What's a more grammatically correct way to say something appears significant?

Instead of "look like substantial", you can say it "appears significant" or "seems substantial".

When is it appropriate to use "look like" versus "looks like"?

"Look like" is used with plural subjects (e.g., "They look like twins"), while "looks like" is used with singular subjects (e.g., "It looks like rain").

What are some formal alternatives to "look like"?

Formal alternatives include "resemble", "appear", and "bear a resemblance to".