a thorough job

USAGE SUMMARY

'a thorough job' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when talking about someone's effort in completing a task or as an adjective for a task that requires attention to detail. Example sentence: I'm sure Tom will do a thorough job in painting the house.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

He is expected to do a thorough job.

The Economist

He's up there now and he does a thorough job.

The Guardian

Winn said the commission had done a thorough job.

The Guardian

The only problem is that Israel probably cannot do a thorough job without U.S. participation.

The New York Times

The property department had done a thorough job on dust and cobwebs.

The New Yorker

"Plus the personal satisfaction of knowing you did a thorough job".

The New York Times

I hope they are doing a thorough job of it – and I mean thorough.

Independent

The inspector was given a warning memo for not doing a thorough job, Mr. Sclafani said.

The New York Times

My external impression is that they are doing a thorough job.

The Guardian - Opinion

His Republican opponents didn't do a thorough job of opposition research.

The Guardian

It should take two to three minutes to do a thorough job.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a thorough job" to commend detailed effort but consider alternatives like "meticulous" or "comprehensive" if you are to indicate a more specific flavor of attention or completeness.

Common error

Avoid equating "a thorough job" with perfection. While thoroughness implies attention to detail and completeness, it does not necessarily mean flawless execution. Focus on meeting the defined requirements rather than striving for an unattainable ideal.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a thorough job" functions as a noun phrase, where "thorough" is an adjective modifying the noun "job". According to Ludwig AI, it's grammatically correct and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Reference

5%

Social Media

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a thorough job" is a grammatically sound and versatile phrase used to describe work completed with great attention to detail and comprehensiveness. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and widespread usage across various contexts, from news and media to scientific and formal settings. While the phrase itself is neutral in register, context dictates its overall formality. To enhance writing, remember that while "a thorough job" indicates completeness, it doesn't necessarily mean perfection. When applicable, consider synonyms like "comprehensive task" or "meticulous effort" for nuance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a comprehensive task

Replaces "job" with "task" and "thorough" with "comprehensive", emphasizing the completeness of the work.

a meticulous effort

Substitutes "job" with "effort" and "thorough" with "meticulous", highlighting the precision and care involved.

a complete undertaking

Uses "undertaking" instead of "job" and "complete" in place of "thorough", focusing on the finished nature of the project.

a painstaking assignment

Replaces "job" with "assignment" and "thorough" with "painstaking", stressing the dedication required.

an exhaustive study

Changes "job" to "study" and "thorough" to "exhaustive", applicable when referring to research or investigation.

a detailed analysis

Replaces the general term "job" with the specific term "analysis", and replaces "thorough" with "detailed" to highlight the level of scrutiny involved.

a rigorous assessment

Substitutes "job" with "assessment" and "thorough" with "rigorous", suggesting a strict and methodical evaluation.

an in-depth investigation

Uses "investigation" instead of "job" and "in-depth" in place of "thorough", focusing on the depth of the inquiry.

a scrupulous examination

Replaces "job" with "examination" and "thorough" with "scrupulous", emphasizing the moral integrity required.

a conscientious piece of work

Replaces "job" with "piece of work" and "thorough" with "conscientious", suggesting the worker put effort and care to complete the work.

FAQs

How can I use "a thorough job" in a sentence?

You can use "a thorough job" to describe someone's work, such as "The inspector did "a thorough job" of checking the building's foundation" or to express satisfaction with the level of detail in a task: "I'm happy to see you did "a thorough job" of cleaning the house".

What are some synonyms for "a thorough job"?

Alternatives to "a thorough job" include "a comprehensive task", "a meticulous effort", or "a complete undertaking". The best choice depends on the specific context and the aspect you want to emphasize.

Is it better to say "a thorough job" or "a complete job"?

While both phrases suggest a task was finished, "a thorough job" emphasizes attention to detail and comprehensiveness, while "a complete job" simply indicates that the task is finished. The choice depends on whether you want to highlight the quality of the work or just its completion.

What's the difference between "a thorough job" and "a good job"?

"A good job" is a general expression of approval. "A thorough job" specifically indicates that the work was done with great attention to detail, comprehensiveness, and care. "A good job" might be satisfactory, while "a thorough job" exceeds expectations in its completeness.