will take about

USAGE SUMMARY

"will take about" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you're referring to how long something will take. For example, "It will take about an hour to drive there."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

A circuit will take about two hours.

Independent

The trip will take about four years.

The New York Times

This will take about one business week.

University of California, Berkeley

A ride will take about 30 minutes.

The New York Times - Travel

This will take about 1½ minutes.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Development will take about two years.

The New York Times

Each reading will take about five hours.

The Guardian - Arts

That will take about six years.

The New York Times

This will take about 2 minutes.

The Washington Post

Initial dredging will take about 40 days.

The Guardian

The restoration will take about 10 years, he added.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Combine "will take about" with specific units of time to improve clarity. For instance, instead of saying "The process will take about a while", specify "The process will take about two weeks".

Common error

Avoid using overly vague timeframes with "will take about", such as "It will take about a bit" or "It will take about some time". These phrases lack precision and do not provide helpful information. Always aim for more specific estimates.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "will take about" functions as a future tense estimator, indicating an approximate duration or quantity needed for a certain action or process. Ludwig's examples showcase its use in various contexts, providing an idea of how it fits into sentences.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

30%

Wiki

25%

Less common in

Academia

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "will take about" is a versatile and commonly used phrase for estimating time or resources. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and widespread usage across various domains including News & Media, Science and Wiki, suggesting a neutral register suitable for both informal and professional settings. When using this phrase, ensure clarity by specifying units of time or quantities to avoid vagueness. For more formal contexts, consider alternatives like "should require approximately" or "is estimated to be in the vicinity of". Ultimately, mastering its usage will improve the clarity and precision of your communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

should require approximately

Replaces "will take" with a more formal "should require" and uses "approximately" instead of "about" for a slightly more precise tone.

is expected to last around

Shifts the focus to the duration of the activity and uses "around" instead of "about" to indicate approximation.

is projected to last approximately

Uses "projected" to indicate a forecast or estimation, similar to "expected", and "approximately" for precision.

should consume roughly

Emphasizes the resource consumption (time) and uses "roughly" as an alternative to "about".

is anticipated to need nearly

Uses a more formal tone with "is anticipated" and "nearly" for a close estimation.

ought to span close to

Replaces "will take" with "ought to span", suggesting a duration or extent, and uses "close to" for approximation.

expect it to last something like

It’s a less formal and verbose rewording of the query.

is estimated to be in the vicinity of

Offers a more verbose and formal way of estimating the duration, suitable for professional contexts.

figures to need in the neighborhood of

Replaces with the idiom "figures to need", and uses the expression "in the neighborhood of" for approximation.

budget on something like

This rephrasing is suitable to be used in financial and project planning contexts.

FAQs

How do I use "will take about" in a sentence?

You can use "will take about" to estimate the duration of an activity or process. For example, "The meeting "will take about" an hour", or "The project "will take about" three months to complete".

What can I say instead of "will take about"?

Alternatives include phrases like "should require approximately", "is expected to last around", or "is estimated to be in the vicinity of" depending on the context and level of formality.

Is it better to say "will take about" or "will take approximately"?

Both phrases are correct, but "will take approximately" is slightly more formal and precise. ""will take about"" is more commonly used in everyday conversation.

Can "will take about" be used for things other than time?

While primarily used for estimating time, ""will take about"" can also be used to estimate resources or effort. For example, "The recipe "will take about" three cups of flour".