How to use "concerning"

What Does "concerning" Mean?

• Grammatical function: "Concerning" primarily functions as a preposition meaning "about" or "regarding," expressing a relationship of topic or reference. It can also function as a participle adjective meaning "worrying" or "troubling."
• Typical sentence position: Medial (as a preposition) or initial/final (as an adjective).
• Register: Formal to Neutral. It is frequently found in academic, legal, journalistic, and professional contexts.

How to Use It

• Syntactic patterns: As a preposition, it is followed directly by a noun phrase (the object of the preposition). As an adjective, it often follows a linking verb (e.g., "It is concerning") or precedes a noun.
• Punctuation rules: Generally, no comma is needed when it introduces a prepositional phrase mid-sentence. If used as an introductory phrase (less common), a comma may follow the phrase.
• Grammatical flexibility: It can start a sentence as a prepositional phrase (e.g., "Concerning your request, we have...") and can be modified by adverbs like "deeply" or "increasingly" when used as an adjective.
• What sounds unnatural: Using it as a preposition in very casual speech often sounds overly stiff. Additionally, it should not be confused with "concerned," which describes the person feeling the worry.

Real-World Examples

These examples are sourced from concerning on Ludwig.guru.

"It is deeply concerning that the University of Birmingham have chosen to respond in such a draconian manner to a [previous] peaceful protest," she said. — theguardian.com

"Iriscepero wrote: "[I am voting for] Waris Dirie for her work concerning female genital mutilation." — theguardian.com

"It is increasingly concerning that Tory ministers seek to exaggerate the potential benefits of shale and dismiss genuine and legitimate concerns." — theguardian.com

"A sharp-eyed reader noticed that there had been a culling of words concerning nature." — theguardian.com

"But the US president has the only vote that matters concerning the ending of the war." — theguardian.com

Examples sourced from https://ludwig.guru/s/concerning

Similar Phrases and Alternatives

Phrase	Context
regarding	Very similar formal preposition; used to introduce a specific topic.
about	The neutral/informal equivalent; used in everyday conversation.
pertaining to	Highly formal and legalistic; suggests a direct connection or belonging.
worrying	The standard adjective alternative for the "troubling" sense of concerning.
with regard to	A multi-word formal connective often used at the start of sentences.
in relation to	Used when emphasizing the connection between two specific concepts.

Common Mistakes

• Double Prepositions: Learners often mistakenly add the preposition 'to' or 'about' after it (e.g., 'concerning about the issue') rather than using it as a direct preposition.
• Confusing Adjective and Preposition: Ensure the context clarifies whether "concerning" describes a state (adjective) or introduces a topic (preposition).
• Misusing 'Concerned': Do not use "concerning" to describe a person's feelings; a person is concerned, while a situation is concerning.

Quick-Reference Summary

Expression	Function	Register	Typical Position
concerning	Topic/Reference (Prep) or Worrying (Adj)	Formal / Neutral	Medial (Prep) or Initial/Final (Adj)

FAQs

Can concerning be used at the beginning of a sentence

Yes, concerning can appear in both sentence-initial and mid-clause positions. As a preposition, it can lead an introductory phrase about a specific topic, while as an adjective, it often appears at the start of an independent clause like "It is concerning that..."

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What is the difference between concerning and regarding

While both are formal prepositions, regarding is often used more specifically in business correspondence to label a subject. Concerning is slightly more versatile and is frequently used as an adjective to describe troubling situations, which regarding cannot do.

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Should I use a preposition like about after the word concerning

No, you should never follow the word with another preposition. Learners often mistakenly add the preposition to or about after it (e.g., 'concerning about the issue') rather than using it as a direct preposition that takes its own object.