a useful cause

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a useful cause" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a cause or initiative that provides benefits or serves a purpose that is considered helpful or valuable. Example: "The charity organization supports a useful cause that aims to provide clean water to communities in need."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Much it might have been recycled or at the very least, given away to a useful cause.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

It's a little hard to tell whether we should be glad that McDonald's is serving a useful public cause, or utterly depressed that traditional meeting places like libraries and local sandwich shops have been replaced by a corporate behemoths like McDonald's and Starbucks.

Huffington Post

The reviewers' comment asking about the behavior of the palm loop residues in the simulations was extremely useful, causing us to more carefully evaluate an aspect of the molecular dynamics simulations that we had overlooked.

eLife

The AIA model may provide a useful model, causing less discomfort to the animals than systemic polyarthritis, for the assessment of the immunogenic properties of new products to assist in the repair of the joint under local inflammatory conditions or therapeutics that are administered locally to suppress inflammation.

Arthritis Research and Therapy

"I'm incredibly glad this happened because it is causing a useful national movement of parents planning to audit what is REALLY being taught to their kids," Dreger told The Huffington Post.

Huffington Post

While M-DET is not designed to substitute physician coding of causes of death it could be a useful tool for cause of death quality assurance.

Plosone

This is at once welcome and worrying.It is welcome because it is in everyone's interest to have China's vast savings, stashed away for too long in low-yielding American government bonds, diverted to more useful causes.

The Economist

A technical contradiction describes the state of a system where there is an action having a useful effect but causing simultaneously an undesirable effect.

Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

The cytokines, which cause a useful inflammatory response in small doses, are lethal en masse.

The New York Times - Health

Key messages for action Though it does not completely describe transition patterns observed in all settings, the original ET theory can continue to provide a useful framework for describing cause-specific mortality changes and may contribute usefully to predictions of cause-specific mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income settings.

Global Health Action

In one case, scanning revealed a lethal stroke that dissection missed.All this suggests that scans might play a useful role in determining causes of death.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a useful cause", ensure the context clearly defines why the cause is considered useful. Specificity strengthens the statement.

Common error

Avoid using "a useful cause" as a generic compliment. Instead, highlight specific aspects of the cause that make it valuable or impactful.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a useful cause" functions as a noun phrase, where "useful" modifies the noun "cause". According to Ludwig AI, this phrase is grammatically correct and refers to a cause that provides benefits or serves a purpose considered helpful or valuable.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

25%

Science

63%

Encyclopedias

3%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a useful cause" is a grammatically sound noun phrase used to describe an endeavor providing helpful or valuable benefits. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness. While not overly frequent, its usage spans diverse contexts like news, science and encyclopedias. For enhanced clarity, specify what renders the cause particularly useful, steering clear of broad generalizations. Related phrases include "a helpful reason" or "a worthwhile objective". The phrase maintains a neutral register appropriate for diverse settings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a valuable purpose

Substitutes 'useful' with 'valuable', stressing worth, and keeps 'purpose' which is closely related to 'cause'.

a helpful reason

Replaces 'useful' with 'helpful' and 'cause' with 'reason', emphasizing assistance rather than purpose.

a practical initiative

Replaces 'useful' with 'practical' and 'cause' with 'initiative', highlighting real-world applicability and a proactive step.

a beneficial endeavor

Changes 'useful' to 'beneficial' and 'cause' to 'endeavor', focusing on positive outcomes and effort.

a worthwhile objective

Replaces 'useful' with 'worthwhile' and 'cause' with 'objective', highlighting the merit of a specific goal.

a productive aim

Changes 'useful' to 'productive' and 'cause' to 'aim', focusing on achieving results.

a constructive motive

Substitutes 'useful' with 'constructive' and 'cause' with 'motive', emphasizing a positive building effect and underlying reason.

an advantageous pursuit

Changes 'useful' to 'advantageous' and 'cause' to 'pursuit', focusing on the benefit gained from an activity.

a significant movement

Changes 'useful' to 'significant' and 'cause' to 'movement', focusing on impact and a collective action.

a serviceable undertaking

Substitutes 'useful' with 'serviceable' and 'cause' with 'undertaking', emphasizing functionality and commitment.

FAQs

How can I use "a useful cause" in a sentence?

You can use "a useful cause" to describe an activity or organization that provides a helpful or valuable service. For example, "Volunteering at the local soup kitchen is supporting "a useful cause"."

What are some alternatives to "a useful cause"?

Alternatives include "a worthy cause", "a beneficial cause", or "a valuable purpose" depending on the specific context.

Is "a useful cause" formal or informal?

"A useful cause" is generally neutral and can be used in both formal and informal settings, though more formal contexts might benefit from synonyms like "a worthwhile objective".

What makes a cause "useful"?

A "useful" cause is one that provides tangible benefits or addresses a specific need in a helpful or practical way. The usefulness is defined by its positive impact and effectiveness.