Section 1 — The Language of Money Grammar focus

Session 2 Grammar: Approximation language

Financial professionals rarely have exact figures in conversation. Knowing how to give accurate approximations — and signal that they are approximations — is an essential professional skill.

Grammar Focus

Hedging numbers: roughly / approximately / in the region of / around / upward of

When you don't have a precise figure — or when precision would be false — use approximation language. This signals intellectual honesty and professional confidence. Never invent false precision, and never give a number without signalling its degree of accuracy.

Key words: roughly · approximately · around · in the region of · upward of · somewhere between X and Y · in the order of · give or take

The total cost will be roughly €2 million — I'll confirm the exact figure after the contractor submits the final quote.

The fund manages approximately $40 billion in assets, making it one of the largest in the sector.

The liability is in the region of £500,000 to £700,000, depending on how the legal dispute is resolved.

The project will take around 18 months — give or take a quarter depending on regulatory approval timelines.

We're looking at losses of upward of $10 million if the contract falls through — the exposure is significant.

GDP growth came in at somewhere between 1.8% and 2.1%, depending on which methodology you apply to the Q4 revisions.

Precision qualifiers to contrast

exactly / precisely to the nearest thousand the exact figure is... to be precise... the confirmed number is...