a valuable assistance

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a valuable assistance" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct form would be "valuable assistance" without the article "a." Example: "Her valuable assistance was crucial in completing the project on time."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

Formal & Business

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

For example medicine dispensers that detect, if a drug had been taken or not would be a valuable assistance.

BMC Geriatrics

In the meantime annual interest can be used to support the child's livelihood or care, which is a valuable assistance for families living in poverty, preventing the children to be trafficked again.

Unicef

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

"I think it will provide a very valuable assistance to government in understanding which bits of the industry can be viable without additional support.

The Guardian

According to Mr. Perez, the CEO of PrestoExperts, it is pretty tough for a business to survive without the valuable assistance of an expert accountant.

Huffington Post

Prof. of Pharmacology, A Vassilaki for her valuable assistance with ICH experiments.

Arthritis Research and Therapy

Moreover, as there is always a subjective element related to the pathological examination of an image by human physician, an automated technique will provide valuable assistance for physicians.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Proposed approach offers a LPS designer unique and valuable assistance in optimally arranging elements of air-termination system for obtaining maximum lightning shielding effects with minimum total investments.

Journal of Electrostatics

As commander of this northernmost sector of the eastern frontier, Theophilos proved a competent soldier and gave valuable assistance to his brother's campaigns.

Wikipedia

I am grateful to Nipu Sharmeen, research assistant for her valuable assistance during fieldwork.

BMC International Health and Human Rights

Geoffrey was to spend the next few years turning an archaic collection of press cuttings, index cards and random books into an effective newspaper reference service, providing valuable assistance during major events such as the Suez crisis.

The Guardian - Books

I thank Thomas Ainsworth, John Cooper, Fred Miller, Nathanael Stein, Edward Zalta, and an anonymous reader for SEP for their valuable assistance in the preparation of this entry.

SEP

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "valuable assistance" without the article "a" unless you intend to modify "assistance" with additional adjectives, for example, "a truly valuable assistance".

Common error

Do not precede "valuable assistance" with "a" unless you have a specific reason, such as using another adjective before "valuable". It's grammatically incorrect and sounds unnatural.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a valuable assistance" functions as a noun phrase, intended to describe the act of providing help or support. However, according to Ludwig AI, it is grammatically incorrect due to the unnecessary use of the indefinite article "a" before the uncountable noun "assistance".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

20%

News & Media

20%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

13%

Wiki

13%

Science

13%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a valuable assistance" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI suggests that the correct form is "valuable assistance", without the indefinite article. While the phrase appears across diverse sources—including science, news, and business—its limited usage and grammatical issues suggest avoiding it in formal writing. It's better to use "valuable assistance" or alternatives such as "significant help" or "invaluable support" for clarity and correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

valuable assistance

Omits the article "a" to correct the grammatical error, resulting in a standard phrase.

significant help

Replaces "assistance" with "help", providing a more common and grammatically sound alternative.

considerable aid

Uses "aid" instead of "assistance", maintaining a similar level of formality but with different vocabulary.

invaluable support

Emphasizes the importance of the support, using "invaluable" to highlight its significance.

useful contribution

Shifts the focus to the act of contributing, implying that the assistance was helpful and effective.

substantial benefit

Highlights the positive outcome resulting from the assistance.

notable service

Implies the assistance was performed as a duty or favor, emphasizing its quality.

helpful contribution

Focuses on the quality of the contribution.

effective support

Focuses on the result/effectiveness of the support.

a great help

More informal alternative with the same meaning.

FAQs

Is it correct to say "a valuable assistance"?

No, the correct phrase is "valuable assistance". The indefinite article "a" is generally not used before uncountable nouns like "assistance".

What's the difference between "valuable assistance" and "valuable help"?

Both phrases have similar meanings. "Assistance" is slightly more formal than "help", but they are largely interchangeable.

How can I use "valuable assistance" in a sentence?

You can use "valuable assistance" in sentences like: "Her valuable assistance was crucial to the project's success", or "The team provided valuable assistance during the crisis".

What are some alternatives to "valuable assistance"?

Alternatives include "significant help", "considerable aid", or "invaluable support", depending on the context.