achieve honours

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "achieve honours" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to attaining a high level of academic or professional recognition, often in an educational context. Example: "After years of hard work and dedication, she was proud to achieve honours in her degree program."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

He added: "I am not going to speculate on who or who may not achieve honours.

BBC

In this study, the academic performance of graduate-entry medical students at the University of Birmingham was shown to be better than that of undergraduate-entry medical students, with graduate-entry students significantly more likely to achieve honours degrees.

BMC Medical Education

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

While Marlborough achieved honours on the battlefield, the Whigs, now in the ascendancy, drove the remaining Tories from the Cabinet.

Wikipedia

"A man who works with honour, has achieved honour, and who is bringing honour to this presidency that need to be recharged with honour".

The Guardian

Exeter: 84.1 per cent   The worst 1. Sunderland: 49.5 per cent of students achieve top honours 2. Buckingham: 50.7 per cent 3. Trinity Saint David: 51.4 per cent 4. Glyndwr 53.6 per cent 5. East London: 53.9 per cent 6. Bolton: 54.9 per cent 7. London Metropolitan: 55.1 per cent 8. Newman: 56.0 per cent 9. Bedfordshire: 56.6 per cent 10.

Independent

The best 1. Oxford: 92.1 per cent of students achieve top honours 2. St Andrews: 89.6 per cent 3. Cambridge 89.3 per cent 4. UCL: 87.9 per cent 5. Durham: 87.4 per cent 6. Imperial: 87.3 per cent 7. Bristol: 86.3 per cent 8. Birmingham: 84.4 per cent 9. Bath: 84.1 per cent 10.

Independent

He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, in 1984, the only Venezuelan-born player to achieve the honour.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Müller needed only five goals to achieve that honour in South Africa and at his present rate he could easily surpass that total at this tournament.

The Guardian - Sport

Chances are, however, that he will still be given enough opportunity to achieve that honour, which will add extra lustre to United's roster.

The Guardian - Sport

His rainbow jersey came 20 years after Chris Boardman won the inaugural title in Sicily, and David Millar's disqualification from the title in 2003 makes him only the second Briton to achieve the honour.

The Guardian - Sport

In April 1988, a week before his 70th birthday, the film director Gabriel Axel, who has died aged 95, walked up on stage at the Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles to receive the best foreign language film Oscar for Babette's Feast (1987), the first Danish movie to achieve that honour.

The Guardian - Film

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about achievements, consider the context. Use "achieve honours" in formal academic or professional settings to denote high-level accomplishments. For informal contexts, less formal alternatives might be more appropriate.

Common error

Avoid using "achieve honours" in casual conversation or informal writing. While grammatically correct, it may sound overly formal or pretentious. Opt for simpler phrases like "get good grades" or "win awards" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "achieve honours" functions as a verb phrase where 'achieve' is the verb indicating accomplishment, and 'honours' is the noun representing the recognition or distinction attained. As Ludwig AI points out, it indicates a successful attainment of recognition.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Wiki

25%

Science

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

10%

Formal & Business

8%

Reference

7%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "achieve honours" is a grammatically correct and usable expression, mainly employed to denote the attainment of a high degree of academic or professional recognition. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is well-formed and readily applicable. Usage is most frequent in contexts related to news, media, and scientific discussions, with a register ranging from neutral to formal. While "achieve honours" is generally appropriate, it is important to consider the audience and context, opting for simpler language in more informal settings. Common alternative expressions include "attain honors" and "earn distinctions".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

attain honors

Replaces "achieve" with "attain", a more formal synonym.

earn distinctions

Substitutes "honours" with "distinctions", focusing on recognition of merit.

gain recognition

Emphasizes the act of receiving acknowledgement for accomplishments.

secure accolades

Highlights the attainment of awards and praise.

win awards

Focuses on obtaining formal recognition through awards.

obtain high praise

Shifts the focus to receiving commendation and approval.

receive high marks

Specifically refers to achieving excellent grades or scores.

garner commendations

Uses a more formal term, "garner", to describe receiving praise.

be decorated

Implies being honored with a decoration or award.

reach a milestone

Highlights reaching a significant achievement or accomplishment.

FAQs

How can I use "achieve honours" in a sentence?

You can use "achieve honours" to describe someone attaining a high level of recognition or distinction, particularly in academic or professional fields. For instance, "She worked diligently to achieve honours in her degree".

What is a good substitute for "achieve honours"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "attain honors", "earn distinctions", or "gain recognition".

Is it more common to say "achieve honors" or "achieve honours"?

"Achieve honours" is more common in British English, while "achieve honors" is preferred in American English. The choice depends on your target audience and writing style.

What's the difference between "achieve honours" and "receive an award"?

"Achieve honours" generally refers to attaining a high level of academic or professional distinction through sustained effort, while "receive an award" focuses on being given a specific prize or recognition for a particular accomplishment.