ENGLISH
REFERENCE

on the basis of sth

prep. phr..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

prep. phr.. you use this when you use specific facts or reasons to make a decision or form an opinion.

prep. phr.. a complex prepositional phrase used to indicate the foundation, evidence, or rationale upon which a conclusion or action is predicated.


SIMPLE

We chose the winner on the basis of their experience.

CONTEXTUAL

The company decided to hire her on the basis of her impressive portfolio and strong references.

COMPLEX

The court ruled that the contract was invalid on the basis of a technical error in the original filing.

Usage

usually followed by a noun phrase or a gerund representing the evidence or reason.

Teaching tip

this phrase is common in academic and professional writing; contrast it with 'based on', which is often used more flexibly in casual speech.

Pitfall

on the base of his resultson the basis of his resultsuse 'basis' for the abstract reason or principle; 'base' usually refers to a physical bottom or foundation.

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