this shows how

USAGE SUMMARY

'this shows how' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate a conclusion or result. For example: After completing the project, this shows how much progress we have made.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

This shows how premodern our laws are".

The New York Times

"This shows how absurd the law is".

The New York Times

This shows how provincial we have become.

The New Yorker

This shows how poorly thought through the proposal is.

The Guardian

This shows how great the rest of them are".

The New York Times

"This shows how important the number of herbivores is".

The New York Times - Science

This shows how crucial the government's safety-net is.

The Economist

This shows how much storage you are using.

Cornell University

But this shows how undeveloped mortgage institutions were in 1778.

Yale University

This shows how utterly pointless the "finger on the button" question is.

The Guardian - Opinion

This shows how students can seize opportunities, learn from their mistakes, make changes and, eventually, succeed.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "this shows how", make sure the 'this' refers to a specific piece of information or context that is immediately clear to the reader. Ambiguous references can weaken the statement's impact.

Common error

While effective, relying too heavily on "this shows how" can make writing repetitive. Vary your sentence structures by using alternatives like "this demonstrates" or "this illustrates" to maintain reader engagement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "this shows how" functions as a demonstrative connector, linking a preceding statement or observation to its logical consequence or explanation. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's suitable for drawing conclusions.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

49%

Science

25%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Wiki

8%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "this shows how" is a versatile phrase used to connect evidence or situations to their logical outcomes. As Ludwig AI states, this phrase is correct and effective for drawing conclusions in a variety of contexts. It is particularly common in news, scientific writing, and academic contexts, and it maintains a neutral register suitable for broad use. While grammatically sound and widely accepted, varying your sentence structure with alternatives like "this demonstrates how" or "this indicates how" can help to improve readability. Overall, "this shows how" is a useful tool for clear and effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

this indicates how

Replaces "shows" with "indicates", suggesting a pointing-out rather than a clear demonstration.

this demonstrates how

Substitutes "shows" with "demonstrates", implying a more active and evident presentation.

this illustrates how

Changes "shows" to "illustrates", suggesting the use of an example to make something clear.

this reveals how

Uses "reveals" instead of "shows", implying the unveiling of something previously hidden.

this proves how

Replaces "shows" with "proves", indicating a conclusive demonstration.

this highlights how

Substitutes "shows" with "highlights", emphasizing a particular aspect or feature.

this emphasizes how

Changes "shows" to "emphasizes", stressing the importance of what follows.

this confirms how

Uses "confirms" instead of "shows", suggesting the verification of something.

this underscores how

Replaces "shows" with "underscores", emphasizing the significance of the point.

this suggests how

Changes "shows" to "suggests", implying a hint or indirect indication.

FAQs

How can I use "this shows how" in a sentence?

"This shows how" is used to connect a piece of evidence or a situation to a conclusion or an outcome. For example: "The data indicates a significant increase in sales; "this shows how" effective the new marketing campaign has been."

What can I say instead of "this shows how"?

You can use alternatives like "this demonstrates how", "this indicates how", or "this illustrates how" to vary your writing.

Is "this shows how" formal enough for academic writing?

While "this shows how" is generally acceptable, using more formal alternatives like "this demonstrates how" or "this indicates how" might be more suitable for certain academic contexts.

What's the difference between "this shows how" and "this suggests how"?

"This shows how" implies a clearer, more direct connection between evidence and conclusion, while "this suggests how" implies a more tentative or indirect connection.