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"Provided That" or "Providing That"?
Should I Write "Provided That" or "Providing That"?
"Provided that" and "providing that" are interchangeable when used to mean "on condition that." However, "provided that" is strongly preferred over "providing that" in the US and the UK.Here are some examples:
- Provided that the weather is fine, we'll have a picnic on Saturday.
- Providing that the weather is fine, we'll have a picnic on Saturday.
(This is acceptable but is less common.)
- Tony will attend provided that Sarah is not chairing the meeting.
- The newspaper did not publish the photographs because they were given by a confidential source who did so provided that we not release them before the elections.
"Provided" is more popular than "providing." [evidence]
"Provided That" or Just "Provided"?
The word "that" can be omitted from both "provided that" and "providing that." For example:- Provided the weather is fine, we'll have a picnic on Saturday.
- Providing the weather is fine, we'll have a picnic on Saturday.
"Provided" Is More Formal Than "Providing"
Most writers maintain that "provided" is preferable to "providing" as a conjunction meaning "on condition that." Therefore, it is safer to choose "provided" or "provided that" in formal writing.Ready for the Test?
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See Also
adverse or averse? affect or effect? appraise or apprise? avenge or revenge? bare or bear? complement or compliment? dependant or dependent? discreet or discrete? disinterested or uninterested? e.g. or i.e.? envy or jealousy? imply or infer? its or it's? material or materiel? poisonous or venomous? practice or practise? principal or principle? cannot or can not? who's or whose? What are conjunctions? List of easily confused wordsNext lesson >
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Buy the Grammar Monster book.
Suitable for: Teachers, advanced students, and business writers.
Description: Published by London's Octopus Publishing, "Smashing Grammar" is the third, and most comprehensive, grammar reference book written by Craig Shrives (the founder of the Grammar-Monster.com). It is divided into three sections:
Description: Published by London's Octopus Publishing, "Smashing Grammar" is the third, and most comprehensive, grammar reference book written by Craig Shrives (the founder of the Grammar-Monster.com). It is divided into three sections:
- A-Z Grammar Glossary (This section explains grammar terminology, from the basics to advanced terms. It is especially useful because every entry concludes with a valuable and succinct explanation of why the grammar term matters for a writer.)
- A-Z of Punctuation (Packed with entertaining examples, this section provides definitive, well-explained rules for using all the principal punctuation marks. Punctuation should not be guesswork. There are rules.)
- A-Z of Easily Confused Words (This section covers all the homonyms and near homonyms that plague writers and offers tips on how to remember which to use.)
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