it seems that (omit)

Writers often hedge with "it seems that" or "it appears that." Both are grammatically correct but differ in tone and the kind of evidence they suggest. Use "it appears that" for a slightly more formal, evidence-based tone and "it seems that" for impressions or casual speech. Always check the subject and verb inside the clause that follows.

Quick answer

Both phrases are correct. Prefer "it appears that" when you can point to evidence; use "it seems that" for impressions. Fix subject-verb agreement inside the "that" clause, and whenever possible replace the hedge with a specific verb or a brief note of evidence.

"It appears that" = more formal / evidence-based. "It seems that" = impression / conversational.
Check the real subject inside the "that" clause (not the dummy "it") for number and tense.
If you can name the evidence in a few words, use a stronger verb (indicates, suggests, shows) and drop the hedge.

Core explanation: tone and the basic grammar check

Choose by tone: "appears" signals observation from evidence; "seems" signals a subjective impression. Treat the clause after "that" like any other clause-match subject, tense, and agreement to its subject.

Evidence? → appears. Impression? → seems.
Omit "that" in informal speech if it reads naturally: "It seems she left." Keep "that" in longer or complex sentences for clarity.
If the hedge adds no useful information, remove it or rewrite to name the evidence.

Real usage and tone - work, school, and casual examples

Short, ready-to-use sentences for common settings. Each correct sentence gives a practical alternative you can adapt.

Work: Prefer "appears" or a verb that names the evidence (reports show, logs indicate).
School: Both are acceptable; back impressions with data or cite sources.
Casual: "Seems" or dropping "that" is normal; keep it short and natural.

Work - Wrong: It seems that Q3 profits exceed expectations.
Right: It appears that Q3 profits exceed expectations, according to the finance report.
Work - Wrong: It seems like the client prefer weekly updates.
Right: The client appears to prefer weekly updates (confirmed in their email).
Work - Wrong: It seems that the server were down overnight.
Right: Server logs indicate the server was down overnight.
School - Wrong: It seems that the experiment show inconsistent data.
Right: The experiment shows inconsistent data; further trials are needed.
School - Wrong: It appears that the students was absent en masse.
Right: It appears that many students were absent, according to the attendance list.
School - Wrong: It seems that the conclusion are unsupported.
Right: The conclusion seems unsupported by the presented evidence.
Casual - Wrong: It appears that they aren't coming.
Right: It seems they're not coming.
Casual - Wrong: It seems like it's going to rain, I guess.
Right: It looks like it's going to rain.
Casual - Wrong: It seems that you don't like pizza.
Right: You seem not to like pizza. / It seems you don't like pizza.

Common wrong/right pairs you can copy

Quick pairs focusing on agreement, tense, unnecessary hedges, and informal "like" with clauses.

Wrong: It seems that the team are ready.
Right: It seems that the team is ready. / It appears the team is ready.
Wrong: It seems like the report were lost.
Right: It seems that the report was lost. / It appears the report was lost.
Wrong: It appears that many students doesn't agree.
Right: It appears that many students don't agree.
Wrong: It seems that there is too many mistakes.
Right: It seems that there are too many mistakes.
Wrong: It would seem that he don't care.
Right: It would seem that he doesn't care.
Wrong: It seems that like the test failed.
Right: It seems that the test failed. / The test seems to have failed.

Rewrite help: patterns and copy-ready rewrites

Ask: Can I name the evidence in one short phrase? If yes, use a precise verb and drop the hedge. If not, keep the hedge but fix agreement and tense.

Pattern A (evidence): It appears that + clause → [Evidence] indicates/suggests/shows + clause.
Pattern B (concise): It seems that + clause → [Subject] seems + adjective/verb phrase.
Pattern C (direct): Drop the hedge if the claim is supported and state it directly.

Rewrite:
Original: It seems that sales have improved this quarter.
Rewrite: Quarterly sales have improved, according to the Q3 report.
Rewrite:
Original: It appears that many students missed the deadline.
Rewrite: Many students missed the deadline, based on LMS logs.
Rewrite:
Original: It seems that you're upset.
Rewrite: You seem upset-do you want to talk?
Rewrite:
Original: It appears that the server restarted after the update.
Rewrite: Server logs show a restart immediately after the update.
Rewrite:
Original: It seems that the study has flaws.
Rewrite: The study shows methodological flaws in its sampling.
Rewrite:
Original: It seems like we have a problem.
Rewrite: We have a problem: the test suite fails on three cases.

Try your own sentence

Test the full sentence, not the phrase alone. Context clarifies whether a hedge is needed, which word fits best, and what agreement applies.

Fix your sentence: a short checklist + applied fixes

Checklist: 1) Do I have evidence? 2) Is the verb correct? 3) Is "that" needed? 4) Does tone match the setting? 5) Can I use a stronger verb?

If evidence exists, name it: "According to X" or "X shows."
For "there" clauses, make the verb agree with the logical subject: "There seem to be several issues."
In formal writing, keep "that" for clarity in longer clauses.

Rewrite:
Original: It seems that the committee were split on the decision. Fix: The committee appears divided on the decision. / Committee members were split on the decision.
Rewrite:
Original: It seems that more students has joined the club. Fix: More students have joined the club, according to the membership list.
Rewrite:
Original: It appears that the app is crashing on my phone. Fix: The app is crashing on my phone; I'll report the bug with the log file.

Memory trick: pick in under five seconds

Mnemonic: A = Apparent = Artifact (something you can point to). S = Seeming = Sense (your feeling).

Decision rule: Can I name the evidence in six words or less? If yes → use "appears" or name the evidence; if no → use "seems" or label it an impression.

Quick practice: See logs/emails/data → appears. Feel uncertain or guessing → seems.
When in doubt for formal writing, name the evidence or use "appears" plus the evidence.
Usage: You have a timestamped error in the logs → write: "It appears the service crashed at 02:13."

Similar mistakes to avoid

A few common pitfalls: avoid "it seems like" + full clause in formal writing; make the verb agree with the true subject; use "it would seem" sparingly because it adds extra tentativeness.

Bad: "It seems like the team are ready." → Good: "It seems that the team is ready."
Bad: "There seems to be several issues." → Good: "There seem to be several issues."
Bad: "It would seem that she don't care." → Good: "It would seem that she doesn't care."

Wrong: It seems like the committee were divided.
Right: It seems that the committee was divided. / The committee seems divided.
Wrong: There seems to be many errors.
Right: There seem to be many errors.

Hyphenation, spacing, punctuation, and grammar notes

Do not hyphenate "it seems that" or "it appears that." Keep normal spacing. Use commas for parenthetical insertions but not after a short "it seems that" unless the sentence needs one.

No hyphen: never write "it-seems-that."
Comma example: "It seems that, given the delays, we should extend the deadline." (commas set off the insertion).
Agreement: match tense and number to the clause's subject, not to "it."

Wrong: It seems that there is too many problems.
Right: It seems that there are too many problems.
Wrong: It appears that she didn't finished.
Right: It appears that she didn't finish.

FAQ

Is "it seems that" acceptable in formal writing?

Yes-it's grammatically correct. For a more formal or precise tone, prefer "it appears that" or a specific verb like "suggests" or "indicates."

Should I use "it seems like" or "it seems that"?

"It seems that" is safer in writing. "It seems like" is common in speech; avoid "like" followed by a full clause in formal contexts.

How do I fix agreement after "it seems that"?

Find the real subject inside the "that" clause and match the verb: "It seems that the data are incomplete" (data = plural) vs "It seems that the dataset is incomplete" (dataset = singular).

Can I omit "that"?

You can often omit "that" in informal writing or speech ("It seems she left early"), but include it for clarity in longer or complex sentences.

When should I remove the hedge entirely?

Remove the hedge when you can name the evidence or when the claim is supported: instead of "It seems that sales rose," write "Sales rose by 12% this quarter, according to the sales report."

Need a quick check?

For a context-aware fix-agreement, tone, and a one-line rewrite-paste your sentence into a grammar checker or apply the rewrite patterns above for a clean, copy-ready sentence.