subject about

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "subject about" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used incorrectly; the correct form would be "subject of" or "subject matter." Example: "The subject about which we are discussing is quite complex."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

Ethics is a subject about which honorable people may differ.

The New York Times - Magazine

(It's hard to think of another subject about which Thiel would say this).

The New Yorker

"There's nothing I can do," bemoans one subject about their plastic waste stream.

The New York Times

Troopergate was the one subject about which she seemed keen to explicate the details.

The New Yorker

"This is not a subject about which there is any ideological slant," Mr. Stone said.

The New York Times

E.M.S. Technicians arrive and take Subject's vitals while asking Subject about her current condition.

The New York Times

The one subject about which she has said a lot is national security.

The Economist

As to judgment: politics is famously a subject about which honorable people differ.

The New York Times - Magazine

"It is a subject about which people do a lot of lying and self-censorship".

The Guardian - Books

I would frequently use Wikipedia as a primer on a subject about which I had little or no knowledge.

The New York Times

Scrambling, she decided to reinvent herself as an expert in a subject about which she knew next to nothing: housekeeping.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "subject of" or "topic of" instead of "subject about" to ensure grammatical correctness. For example, say "The subject of the meeting is budget allocation".

Common error

Avoid using "about" directly after "subject" when you mean "of". "Subject about" is generally considered incorrect. Instead, use "subject of", as in "The subject of the book is historical fiction".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "subject about" functions incorrectly as a noun phrase followed by a preposition. According to Ludwig AI, this construction violates standard grammar rules. Correct alternatives include phrases like "subject of", which properly connect the noun to its related information.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "subject about" appears with relative frequency across various sources, Ludwig AI indicates that it is grammatically incorrect. The correct alternative is "subject of", which ensures proper grammar and clearer communication. Although examples can be found in news and media, avoiding "subject about" in favor of grammatically sound alternatives like "topic of" or "matter concerning" will enhance the credibility and clarity of your writing, especially in formal or professional contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

subject of

Corrects the grammatical error by using the correct preposition.

topic about

Substitutes "subject" with a synonym but keeps the incorrect preposition.

matter of

Replaces "subject" with "matter" and uses the correct preposition.

theme of

Changes "subject" to "theme", employing correct grammar but altering the specific nuance.

issue regarding

Replaces the noun and preposition with alternatives that convey a similar meaning.

topic regarding

Modifies the original by using "topic" instead of "subject" and "regarding" instead of "about".

area concerning

Shifts the focus to "area" and uses a more formal preposition.

field relating to

Offers a more academic or technical variation, changing both the noun and preposition.

area of discussion

Replaces the entire phrase with a more descriptive and grammatically sound alternative.

point concerning

Substitutes "subject" with "point" and uses the preposition "concerning" to indicate the topic.

FAQs

How can I correct "subject about" in a sentence?

Replace "subject about" with the grammatically correct phrase "subject of". For instance, instead of "The discussion was subject about the new policy", say "The discussion was subject of the new policy".

What's a more formal alternative to "subject about"?

While "subject about" is generally incorrect, a more formal alternative to "subject of" could be "matter concerning" or "topic regarding", depending on the context. For example, "The matter concerning budget allocations requires immediate attention".

Is "subject about" ever correct in English?

No, "subject about" is generally considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. The correct phrasing is "subject of" or a similar construction using a different noun, such as "topic regarding".

What words can replace "subject" in "subject about" to make the phrase correct?

To correct the phrase, you can replace "subject" with words like "topic", "issue", or "matter", and use appropriate prepositions such as "of" or "regarding". For example, "topic of", "issue regarding", or "matter concerning".