0
Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Vocabulary
About/ around/ roughly / approximately
Hi,
What's the difference between about, around roughly and approximately in the sentence?
There were about/ around/ roughly / approximately 20 people on the bus.
Thanks.
What's the difference between about, around roughly and approximately in the sentence?
There were about/ around/ roughly / approximately 20 people on the bus.
Thanks.
Top answer
"About" and "around" mean the same in this sentence; they are common and used in casual face-to-face speech. "Roughly" might be used to emphasize the fact that you are just guessing the number of people on the bus, that the number is not accurate. "Approximately" means the same, but it is more of a formal, technical word that you would maybe use when writing a paper or legal statement.
- "About" and "around" mean the same in this sentence; they are common and used in casual face-to-face speech.
- "Roughly" might be used to emphasize the fact that you are just guessing the number of people on the bus, that the number is not accurate.
- "Approximately" means the same, but it is more of a formal, technical word that you would maybe use when writing a paper or legal statement.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
10 Answers
0
"About" and "around" mean the same in this sentence; they are common and used in casual face-to-face speech.
"Roughly" might be used to emphasize the fact that you are just guessing the number of people on the bus, that the number is not accurate.
"Approximately" means the same, but it is more of a formal, technical word that you would maybe use when writing a paper or legal st
"Roughly" might be used to emphasize the fact that you are just guessing the number of people on the bus, that the number is not accurate.
"Approximately" means the same, but it is more of a formal, technical word that you would maybe use when writing a paper or legal st
00
Hi ramonajk,
What's the difference between these?
There were more or less than 20 people on the bus.
There were 20 people or so on the bus.
There were about 20 people on the bus.
Thanks.
What's the difference between these?
There were more or less than 20 people on the bus.
There were 20 people or so on the bus.
There were about 20 people on the bus.
Thanks.
00
Hi, Anon.
You wouldn't use that first sentence at all. The second one makes sense in very casual terms; you're saying that you are estimating there are around 20 people or slightly more on the bus. The last sentence makes sense, too. In that case, you are saying that you're estimating around 20 people to be on the bus. The ideas are pretty much the same but they are worded slightly diffe
You wouldn't use that first sentence at all. The second one makes sense in very casual terms; you're saying that you are estimating there are around 20 people or slightly more on the bus. The last sentence makes sense, too. In that case, you are saying that you're estimating around 20 people to be on the bus. The ideas are pretty much the same but they are worded slightly diffe
00
Hi, Anon.
Thank you very much. I have two more questions:
Do these terms all mean slightly more or slightly less than 20 people?
about
around
roughly
approximately
or so
Thank you very much. I have two more questions:
AnonymousYou wouldn't use that first sentence at all.Why can't I use more or less than? In what kind of situation can I use it?
Do these terms all mean slightly more or slightly less than 20 people?
about
around
roughly
approximately
or so
00
Hi,
Could anyone please help me with my questions above? Thanks a lot.
Could anyone please help me with my questions above? Thanks a lot.
00
"more or less" is casual, informal. Something you might say to another person, but you would not write in a paper.
However, it's kind of a weird expression and not something you often use in reference to numbers! You might say, "I was more or less satisfied with my meal." This means you were fairly satisfied, but not very satisfied. If you did use it with a number, you would say, "there were 2
However, it's kind of a weird expression and not something you often use in reference to numbers! You might say, "I was more or less satisfied with my meal." This means you were fairly satisfied, but not very satisfied. If you did use it with a number, you would say, "there were 2
00
Hi ramonajk,
Thank you very much for your helpful explanation!
Could all of these expressions mean plus or minus a little bit? They all might mean there were 22 or 18 people, right?
around 20 people
about 20 people
roughly 20 people
approximately 20 people
20 people or so
Thank you very much for your helpful explanation!
Could all of these expressions mean plus or minus a little bit? They all might mean there were 22 or 18 people, right?
around 20 people
about 20 people
roughly 20 people
approximately 20 people
20 people or so
00
Yes, you are exactly right. It could be any number close to 20, above or below.
00
0
around about and approximately, they all mean ten percent more or less. About 20 means either 22 or 18
0
Related Questions