Is “As of This Writing” Correct? (What to Say Instead)

“As of this writing” is a phrase you can use when something is true at the current time of writing it. Things are likely to change, especially if you are writing a scientific paper or academic study with some things that can develop. This article will look into the meaning.

Is “As of This Writing” Correct?

“As of this writing” is correct. It is used when something is true at the time of writing, but it is liable to change in the future. It might just be that the written piece came before something was given a chance to happen.

If you want to understand more about it, you can refer to this example:

• As of this writing, I have yet to complete my final novel.

Here, your “final novel” is incomplete. It might be something that you’re working toward, which means that it is likely to be completed at some point in the future.

So, for the time being, the novel is incomplete. That’s what “as of this writing” is trying to tell the reader. If they were to reread your writing in a few years, it’s likely that the novel is completed, and it would no longer apply to the time of “writing.”

How to Use “As of This Writing” In a Sentence

It might help to go through some examples that show you how you can use “as of this writing” in a sentence:

1. As of this writing, there haven’t been any findings that have let us know whether he’s innocent or guilty.
2. As of this writing, there have still been zero changes that might impact the overall outcome of this case.
3. As of this writing, I did not have access to many things that would have made this experiment much easier to carry out.
4. As of writing this, the verdict has not yet been passed. There are still a few things that need to be cleared up.
5. As of the time of writing this, nothing has been finalized about the situation. It’s likely that there will still be developments in the future.
6. As of this writing, I have not been told that I am getting into any trouble. I hope that stays true in the future, but you never know.
7. As of this writing, people have been gathering in the streets to protest the most recent changes put forward by the government.

“As of this writing” means that something is true at the current moment in time. Whenever you write something, whatever situation comes in the next clause is true. This situation could no longer be true in the future if it is liable to happen at some point.

“As of This Writing” – Synonyms

There aren’t many good synonyms you can use in place of “as of this writing.” Nevertheless, there is a handful that can work, depending on what tone you’re trying to convey:

• As of the time of writing
• At the time of writing
• As of right now

Which Variation Is Most Popular?

According to Google Ngram Viewer, “at the time of writing” is used the most. Of all the synonyms, it is the most popular variation. “As of this writing” is the next most popular, but the other two behind them are barely used at all.

“As of right now” is still used somewhat, but it’s a very informal phrase. Most people avoid using it formally because it doesn’t feel like the tone belongs in many written papers.

“Of the time of writing” is seen as a bit of a redundant phrase. “As of the time of writing” is the full phrase, but many people think that “the time of” is unnecessary. That should already be specified when “as of” is used.

For that reason, “as of this writing” is much more popular than “as of the time of writing.” Also, “at the time of writing” is the most popular because it flows much better in most sentences.

You may also like: Is “At The Time Of Writing” Correct? (Meaning & Alternatives)

Final Thoughts

“As of this writing” works well when you’re showing that something is true in your writing at present, but it might change in the future. It’s more appropriate to use “at the time of writing” because it’s a more popular choice, meaning most native speakers prefer how it sounds.