Can we add “just”, “almost” or “nearly” to the phrase “be about to”

adverbsexpressions

I have heard a few people adding "just" to the phrase "be about to" for emphasis. For example:

I am just about to answer that.

But by definition, "be about to" means that you're going to do something very soon. In that sense, isn't adding "just" kind of redundant? And if adding "just" is ok, what about "almost" or "nearly"? They don't seem to roll off the tongue as well as "just" to me, but there shouldn't be any reason they're any less correct than "just".

Best Answer

The set phrase "just about to" is very widely used, and is generally used about time. You use when something occurred moments before you had planned to do something.

I was just about to have lunch when the doorbell rang

"almost about to" and "nearly about to* are, according to this NGram graph, much less common. They can also be used about time, but are more often used about state. They indicate that someone or something were close to a state where something might happen:

I was ... in hysterics facing Molly, who looked like she was almost about to collapse with laughter. - Road to Pheme, Colin Tuffney, 2004

I was nearly about to have a tantrum and stamp my feet, but I let her go on, my feelings sinking. - Dying to know, Josh Langley, 2014

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