0

I would like to know if I should use making a total of or totalizing to express a sum of elements such as in the following sentence:

The study included 30 hospitals and 3 clinics. For ease of communication, the 3 clinics will henceforth be regarded as hospitals, making a total of / totalizing 33 hospitals.

Improve this question
3
  • Personally I think totalizing here is just inappropriate use of jargon. But with ...regarded as one of the hospitals it doesn't make sense anyway (that approach would lead me to expect a total of 31 hospitals, not 33).
    – FumbleFingers
    Jan 31, 2019 at 17:42
  • Thanks for your comment @FumbleFingers. You are wright. "regarded as one of the hospitals" doesn't make sense. I've rewrote the sentence. Is it correct now?
    – R. Joe
    Jan 31, 2019 at 17:49
  • Yeah, that's better. But as to the substance of your question as now revised, if each clinic is to be counted as a hospital anyway, I honestly can't see why you'd risk insulting your reader by implying he needs your help to add 30 and 3 together. At least with the original phrasing (if the final total were changed to 31) you could justify it on the grounds that you're clarifying the effect of the analytical approach.
    – FumbleFingers
    Jan 31, 2019 at 17:56

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
3

"Making a total of" is acceptable, but a little verbose.

Your other option uses a similar looking verb that has an incorrect meaning. Totalize means⁰ "to comprehend in a way that includes everything" but you intend to convey "amounts to a sum of" which would be "totaling." So your sentence would best be written:

The study included 30 hospitals and 3 clinics. For ease of communication, the 3 clinics will henceforth be regarded as hospitals, totaling 33 hospitals.

⁰Commenters have suggested that, in some places, totalize can indeed mean "amounts to a sum of." This may be true but using it in this way risks confusing readers who understand its meaning only as I have indicated. So, even if it's technically acceptable for some, it is best not to use it in this way.

Improve this answer
3
  • 1
    I too have only heard totalizing used in the way you describe, but apparently dictionaries do include definitions of totalize with the meaning "to total."
    – Juhasz
    Jan 31, 2019 at 18:08
  • 1
    I agree with this answer-- As a US English speaker, I've always heard totalize to mean comprehend broadly, and totalizing to mean comprehensive (as in a "totalizing world view"). I have never seen "to totalize" to mean "to add up to." For that, I've always seen "to total."
    – Katy
    Jan 31, 2019 at 19:06
  • @juh Good to know! I've gone ahead and added a note to this effect.
    – Rykara
    Jan 31, 2019 at 19:39
1

I think "totalizing" is the best choice here, though I don't think I would use either of those. Instead, I would use "totaling" or "for a total of":

... the 3 clinics will henceforth be regarded as hospitals, for a total of 33 hospitals.

... the 3 clinics will henceforth be regarded as hospitals, totaling 33 hospitals.

I don't think "totalizing" is grammatically incorrect (it's a word, after all), but it's not commonly used in my experience.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .