on the basis of, based on

To write plainly and concisely, choose on instead of the roundabout phrase on the basis of. Other possibilities include according to and based on.

  • Employees are appointed on (not on the basis of) merit.
  • The Board released draft guidelines based on (not on the basis of) the committee’s recommendations.

However, note that the past participle based must modify a noun. If there is no noun to which it can attach, you must use on the basis of or an alternative.

  • Incorrect: Based on these findings, we adopted a new marketing approach.
  • Correct: On the basis of these findings, we developed a new marketing approach.
  • Correct: We developed a new marketing approach based on these findings.

Copyright notice for Writing Tips Plus

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Public Services and Procurement
A tool created and made available online by the Translation Bureau, Public Services and Procurement Canada

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