about/around/round about

[krisfromgermany]

1) I'm about 30 years old.
2) I'm around 30 years old.
3) I'm round about 30 years old.
4) I'm approximately 30 years old.

5) The T-Shirt costs about 10 Euros.
6) The T-Shirt costs around 10 Euros.
7) The T-Shirt costs round about 10 Euros.
8) The T-Shirt costs approximately 10 Euros.

Which of these sentences sound more natural in American English?

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I'm a native German speaker, I'm here to improve my English in general and especially my American English. Whenever you find any faults of mine, please feel free to correct me. Also, please correct me if you catch me using expressions that sound British rather than American. Thank you.

 

[GoesStation]

1 and 2 are natural. 4 would sound pretty odd. We don't use the phrase round about in AmE, though the noun roundabout is gaining acceptance as more of these small, modern traffic circles appear on American roads.

5 and 6 are natural, too, at least if used by a salesperson (for example). In conversation, we'd be a lot more likely to use the simple past tense.

 

[krisfromgermany]

So 'approximately' is not widely used in AmE ?

 

[GoesStation]

So 'approximately' is not widely used in AmE ?

It's used frequently but it isn't always exchangeable with about or around. Approximately is used in more technical, precise speech, while around and about are more casual. If you're talking about the price of T-shirts, you're probably in a casual context. You presumably know your own age precisely, so the only context in which you wouldn't state it exactly is some casual setting where you might not want to.

 

[GoesStation]

Traffic circles are called rotaries​ in the New England states.