million tons of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'million tons of' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to a large quantity of something. For example: "Every year, nearly a million tons of hazardous waste is produced in the United States."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

54 human-written examples

There's something like 5 million tons of garbage there now.

The New Yorker

A megaton equals a million tons of TNT.

The New York Times

Right now we have around 110 million tons of capacity.

The New York Times

Imports represent about 30 million tons of that.

The New York Times

Arcelor shipped 40 million tons of steel in 2003.

The New York Times

Brazil produces around 588.5 million tons of sugarcane (Saccharum spp).

Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture

Humans produce almost 300 million tons of plastic each year.

Science Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

4 human-written examples

In 1966, India imported eleven million tons of grain.

The New Yorker

In China, approximately seven hundred million tons of vegetables are produced annually, with two hundred million tons of residues and wastes.

AMB Express

On the other hand, wine industry generates almost ten million tons of grape pomace residues per year.

Construction and Building Materials

Each year more than a hundred million tons of polymer are produced worldwide in a variety of polymerization processes.

Chemical Engineering Science

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Provide context when using "million tons of" to help the reader understand the scale. Compare it to something familiar, like the weight of a number of airplanes or the amount of material needed to build a specific structure.

Common error

Avoid using "million tons of" when referring to items typically measured by volume or count. For example, it's more appropriate to say "million gallons of oil" rather than "million tons of oil".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "million tons of" functions as a quantifier, specifically expressing a large quantity measured in tons. Ludwig AI confirms its widespread use in various contexts, showcasing its role in providing specific magnitudes.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

46%

News & Media

41%

Formal & Business

13%

Less common in

Reference

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "million tons of" is a common and grammatically correct way to express large quantities, primarily used in scientific, news, and business contexts. As Ludwig AI confirms, it effectively conveys scale and magnitude, particularly when discussing production, waste, or natural resources. Alternatives like "millions of tonnes of" or "substantial tonnage of" can be used depending on the specific context and desired level of precision. When using this phrase, it's important to ensure the unit 'tons' is appropriate and provide context to help the reader grasp the magnitude being described.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

millions of tonnes of

Uses the metric 'tonne' instead of 'ton', representing a slight difference in measurement but maintaining the same order of magnitude.

millions of metric tons of

Explicitly specifies 'metric tons' for clarity, particularly in international contexts.

millions upon millions of tons of

Emphasizes the vast quantity by using a repetitive structure.

a million tons worth of

Rephrases the quantity as a value, emphasizing the worth or impact of the tonnage.

millions of units of weight of

A more verbose way of expressing a large quantity by weight, suitable for very formal contexts.

substantial tonnage of

Replaces the specific number with a more general term indicating a large amount by weight.

enormous amount of tons of

Replaces "million" with "enormous amount" to emphasize scale, while keeping 'tons' as the unit.

considerable weight of

Focuses on the weight aspect, implying a significant mass.

significant volume of

Focuses on volume rather than weight, suitable if the context relates more to space occupied.

large quantities of

Uses a more generic term to describe a large amount, without specifying the unit of measurement.

FAQs

How is "million tons of" used in a sentence?

The phrase "million tons of" is used to quantify a large amount of something, typically in reference to production, consumption, or waste. For example, "The factory produces five "million tons of" steel annually."

What can I say instead of "million tons of"?

Alternatives include "millions of tonnes of", "substantial tonnage of", or using a more descriptive phrase like "an enormous quantity of" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "million tons of" or "millions of tons of"?

Both are grammatically correct, but "million tons of" is generally used when referring to a specific quantity (e.g., one million tons). "Millions of tons of" implies a less precise, larger quantity spread across multiple millions. Note that the plural usage is not related to tons but the amount of million.

What does "a megaton" equal in terms of "million tons of"?

A megaton is a unit of explosive power equivalent to one "million tons of" TNT. It's commonly used to measure the yield of nuclear weapons.