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Anonymous Posted 8 years ago
Grammar

Suitability of "when it comes to X"

Hello.

I am working on a paper in English and have used the expression "when it comes to X" in the main text. An English instructor, who is not a native English speaker, read my draft and told me that this expression is too informal for a paper. But the expression appears in many English-language journal articles (a search through the Internet showed this). Indeed, it seems ok for me.

What is your opinion about the suitability of the expression "when it comes to X" for a paper? My area is Applied Linguistics.

Thank you very much.

  

Top answer

My first instinct was that your friend was right. It sounds casual. I wonder what your journal article examples look like.

— Anonymous

  • My first instinct was that your friend was right.
  • It sounds casual.
  • I wonder what your journal article examples look like.
  • I looked it up in the Oxford English Dictionary .
  • " or anything (the entry before it, "come to that", is called colloquial).
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4 Answers
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My first instinct was that your friend was right. It sounds casual. I wonder what your journal article examples look like.

I looked it up in the Oxford English Dictionary. It has its own entry under "come", phrasal verbs: "when it comes to ——: (used to introduce or qualify a statement) so far as (a matter or subject) is concerned." There is no label like "colloq." or anything (the

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The expression is probably OK to use in your context.

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It is alright, but the professor may be looking for a topic that has a little more depth. It is his prerogative to reject your submission and not worth creating an issue over it. Putting a target on your back over something so trivial isn't a noble effort when it comes to your education.
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Thank you very much for the replies.

I use the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. It says the expression is informal and gives the following example: "He's a bit of an expert when it comes to computers." But using search engines, a lot of instances of "when it comes to" can be found in journal articles. I have also found many instances in my target journal (it is possible to nar

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