almost never able to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "almost never able to" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where someone or something rarely has the capability to do something. Example: "Despite his efforts, he felt almost never able to meet the high expectations set by his peers."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

"In high school, she was almost never able to hang out," Jemima Kirke says.

The New Yorker

Because they were almost never able to get studio backing for the films they wanted to make, Merchant Ivory owns the negatives to more than 20 movies at a time when television across the world is hungry for product.

The New York Times

First, despite 150 years of modern evolutionary biology, biologists are almost never able to predict an evolutionary event beyond simple generalizations like "bacteria will evolve resistance to antibiotics".

Security Informatics

Given the fact that we have stockholders, we are almost never able to get their permission for expensive R&D ideas.

Triple Helix

Sometimes a founder is able to steer the ship as CEO from the bare vision all the way to huge success, and we prefer this when possible, but they're almost never able to do it alone.

TechCrunch

Our results show that the Southern-origin model can be rejected as it is almost never able to reproduce the observed data in East Asia, whatever the initial conditions are.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

"That very same instant I had an almost apocalyptic vision that I was never able to forget.

The New York Times

A ruptured Achilles in 2008 put him out of the game for almost a year and he was never able to work his way back into manager David Moyes' plans, ending last season on loan at Leicester.

BBC

Israeli newspapers reported that the reunion, after almost 20 years, was so emotional that Mr. Appelfeld was never able to write about it.

The New York Times

She supported us on a secretary's salary, so we were never able to live luxuriously, but she suspected all expenditure, almost for its own sake.

The New York Times

Almost all of them were separated from family members when they were fleeing and were never able to find their family members again.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "almost never able to", consider whether a stronger or more direct expression of inability might be more effective for clarity and impact.

Common error

Avoid replacing "almost never able to" with "never able to" if there are any exceptions, however rare. "Almost never" acknowledges the possibility, while "never" implies absolute impossibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "almost never able to" functions as an adverbial modifier indicating the degree of possibility or capability. It modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb, suggesting that the action or state is rarely achievable.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Science

43%

Wiki

14%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "almost never able to" is a grammatically sound phrase used to express a low probability or infrequent capability. According to Ludwig, the phrase is correct and suitable for diverse contexts, though it appears more commonly in news media and scientific articles. While it conveys a clear meaning, consider whether a stronger or more precise expression might enhance clarity. Related phrases like "rarely capable of" or "seldom able to" offer similar nuance. Avoiding overstatement by using "never" when exceptions exist is crucial for accurate communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

rarely capable of

Emphasizes the infrequency of having the capacity to do something.

seldom able to

Uses "seldom" to highlight the rarity of the ability.

hardly ever able to

Emphasizes the difficulty or infrequency with "hardly ever".

infrequently able to

More formal, using "infrequently" to denote the lack of regularity.

not often capable of

Rephrases the ability in terms of capability and frequency.

occasionally unable to

Shifts focus to inability on certain occasions, implying a potential for ability at other times.

mostly unable to

Suggests a general state of inability with occasional exceptions.

almost incapable of

Emphasizes a lack of capability more strongly than frequency.

scarcely in a position to

Focuses on lacking the necessary circumstances or resources.

unlikely to be able to

Indicates a low probability of being able to do something in the future.

FAQs

How can I use "almost never able to" in a sentence?

Use "almost never able to" to indicate that someone or something is rarely capable of performing a certain action. For example, "Due to budget cuts, the library was almost never able to purchase new books".

What phrases are similar to "almost never able to"?

Similar phrases include "rarely capable of", "seldom able to", or "hardly ever able to", all of which express a lack of frequency or capability.

Is "almost never able to" a formal or informal expression?

"Almost never able to" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. However, consider using more precise language depending on the specific situation.

What is the difference between "almost never able to" and "never able to"?

"Almost never able to" implies that there might be rare exceptions, while "never able to" suggests a complete and absolute inability. Choose the phrase that best reflects the reality of the situation.