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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak
CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com
tick if relevant
Grammar usage guide and real-world examplesUSAGE SUMMARY
The phrase "tick if relevant" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts where you are asking someone to mark or indicate something that applies or is pertinent to a situation. Example: "Please review the checklist and tick if relevant for each item."
✓ Grammatically correct
Science
News & Media
Formal & Business
Alternative expressions(2)
Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources
Similar Expressions
60 human-written examples
A clock is only allowed to tick, if at least one of the related pause statements are reached.
In addition, it can only tick if no lower clock is enabled, because execution should synchronize on common pause statements.
But we cannot just have "a play about British Muslims", or "a play about climate change", tick the relevant boxes and be happy with that.
News & Media
Tick, tick, tick... Ugh.
News & Media
Someone born in China would have ticked both relevant boxes.
News & Media
However if the participant was unable to read the questionnaire, the interviewer read out each statement aloud and ticked the relevant response as directed by the participant.
Science
My mom then ticked off the relevant ingredients: eggs, a little milk, a little salt, a little pepper, a little yellow food coloring.
News & Media
Highlight any logos and show defects if relevant.
News & Media
Use season and episode numbers if relevant.
News & Media
Ethnic/geographic origin, if relevant.
A color theme (if relevant).
Wiki
Expert writing Tips
Best practice
When using "tick if relevant" in forms or questionnaires, ensure that the context is clear, and the user understands what constitutes relevance. Providing examples can help avoid ambiguity.
Common error
Avoid using "tick if relevant" when the relevance criteria are subjective or unclear. Be specific about what makes something relevant to prevent inconsistent responses.
Source & Trust
60%
Authority and reliability
3.5/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested
Linguistic Context
The phrase "tick if relevant" primarily functions as an instructional phrase in forms, surveys, or questionnaires. Its purpose is to guide users to mark an option only when it applies to them. Ludwig provides multiple examples where "tick" is used in similar instructional contexts.
Frequent in
Science
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News & Media
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Formal & Business
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Less common in
Science
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News & Media
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Formal & Business
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Ludwig's WRAP-UP
In summary, the phrase "tick if relevant" is a grammatically correct instruction for conditional responses, as confirmed by Ludwig. While versatile, it is best used when relevance is clearly defined to avoid ambiguity. Given its neutral tone, consider more formal alternatives like "indicate if applicable" in professional settings. Ludwig highlights similar usages of "tick" in various contexts, supporting its instructional nature. Despite being semantically valid and correct according to Ludwig AI, usage examples are missing.
More alternative expressions(10)
Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:
check if applicable
Replaces "tick" with "check" and "relevant" with "applicable", offering a slightly more formal tone.
mark if appropriate
Uses "mark" instead of "tick" and "appropriate" in place of "relevant", providing a similar meaning.
select if it applies
Rephrases the instruction to focus on whether something applies, using "select" instead of "tick".
indicate if necessary
Substitutes "tick" with "indicate" and "relevant" with "necessary", implying a condition-based action.
confirm if suitable
Employs "confirm" instead of "tick" and "suitable" for "relevant", changing the emphasis slightly.
choose if pertinent
Replaces "tick" with "choose" and "relevant" with "pertinent", keeping the conditional aspect.
fill in if it pertains
Uses "fill in" as the action and "pertains" to convey relevance, altering the structure of the sentence.
answer if it's related
Changes the instruction to "answer" based on relatedness, shifting the action and condition.
note if applicable
Uses "note" instead of "tick", maintaining the conditional instruction with "applicable".
specify if appropriate
Substitutes "tick" with "specify" and "relevant" with "appropriate", offering a slightly more formal tone.
FAQs
What does "tick if relevant" mean?
It means to mark or check a box only if the statement or item it corresponds to applies to the current situation or is pertinent to the matter at hand. It's a conditional instruction used in forms and questionnaires.
What can I say instead of "tick if relevant"?
You can use alternatives like "check if applicable", "mark if appropriate", or "select if it applies" depending on the context.
Is "tick if relevant" formal or informal?
The phrase "tick if relevant" is generally considered neutral. More formal alternatives would be "indicate if necessary" or "specify if appropriate".
When should I use "tick if relevant"?
Use "tick if relevant" when you want respondents to only acknowledge or select items that are applicable to their situation. Ensure there's a clear understanding of what constitutes relevance to avoid ambiguity.
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Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Source & Trust
60%
Authority and reliability
3.5/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested