alter his work

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "alter his work" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing changes or modifications made to someone's work, such as a project, document, or creative piece. Example: "After receiving feedback, he decided to alter his work to better meet the expectations of the committee."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Caresse refused, insisting that a literary master would never alter his work to fix a printer's error.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Instead, what excited him about Wolff's gift was its capacity radically to alter his working methods – for the next four decades Cage's music, writing and visual art were inspired and organised by the philosophy of chance and (more especially) the disordering exercises that the little book prescribed.

The Guardian - Arts

But he made it clear that he had not altered his work; it remains political, populist and, of course, comic.

The New York Times

While working as a paralegal, Mr. Valery told his bosses that he was attending law school at Fordham University at night, and they altered his work schedule to accommodate classes.

The New York Times

He was generally tolerant of the movies' penchant for altering his work, even when he hadn't made the changes himself; he had no objection, for instance, to the elimination of the hero's suicide at the end of George More O'Ferrall's fine 1953 adaptation of "The Heart of the Matter".

The New York Times

To do justice to his new role, Nusbaum altered his work schedule.

Science Magazine

On the dangers of isolated views of integrity, professor of philosophy at Arizona State University, Cheshire Calhoun gives a great example: "The artist who alters his work of genius, making it sale-able to a tasteless public, lacks integrity because he does not regard his best aesthetic judgment as important to anyone but himself".

Huffington Post

On the dangers of isolated views of integrity, professor of philosophy at Arizona State University, Cheshire Calhoun gives a great example: "The artist who alters his work of genius, making it sale-able to a tasteless public, lacks integrity because he does not regard his best aesthetic judgment as important to anyone but himself". The individual notion of "good" is a shared one.

HuffPost

It was said that Hogarth placed an attendant next to the painting to note the remarks made by the viewers; changes to the painting suggest that he may have responded to these criticisms by altering his work, although it is impossible to ascertain whether many of the changes were made before or after the painting was exhibited.

Wikipedia

Without thinking, Vedernikov asked him how he could bear to alter his finished work at someone else's request.

The Guardian - Music

They were also asked whether they lost work time as a result of the injury, what activities caused symptoms to recur, and whether the injury had caused the respondent to alter his or her work habits, reduce hours with patients, or change employment settings.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing creative endeavors, use "alter his work" to denote intentional changes made to improve or adapt a project. For instance, "The artist chose to "alter his work" based on feedback from the gallery."

Common error

Avoid using "alter his work" when the intention is to completely replace or discard the work. "Alter" implies modification, not obliteration. For total replacement, use "replace his work" or "abandon his work" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "alter his work" functions as a verb phrase, indicating an action performed on someone's creation. It signifies the process of modifying, changing, or revising a piece of work to improve or adapt it. Ludwig confirms this usage with numerous examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Academia

20%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Science

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "alter his work" is a grammatically correct and versatile phrase used to describe the act of modifying or changing someone's work. Ludwig AI indicates that it is commonly used across various contexts, including news, academia, and general writing. While the phrase is generally considered correct, it's important to ensure the intended scope aligns with the meaning of modification rather than complete replacement. Alternative phrases, such as "modify his work" or "revise his work", can be used depending on the specific nuance desired.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

modify his work

Replaces "alter" with "modify", suggesting a change or adjustment to the work.

revise his work

Replaces "alter" with "revise", implying a more thorough review and correction of the work.

change his work

Uses "change" instead of "alter", indicating a general shift or transformation of the work.

adjust his work

Replaces "alter" with "adjust", suggesting a fine-tuning or adaptation of the work.

adapt his work

Replaces "alter" with "adapt", implying a modification to suit a new purpose or condition.

tweak his work

Uses "tweak" instead of "alter", indicating a minor adjustment to improve the work.

reshape his work

Replaces "alter" with "reshape", suggesting a significant change in the form or structure of the work.

transform his work

Uses "transform" instead of "alter", implying a complete and dramatic change to the work.

rework his work

Replaces "alter" with "rework", suggesting a renewed effort to improve or refine the work.

edit his work

Uses "edit" instead of "alter", implying corrections and modifications to the work.

FAQs

How can I use "alter his work" in a sentence?

You can use "alter his work" when referring to making changes or modifications to someone's existing project or creation. For example, "He decided to "alter his work" after receiving critical feedback."

What's a good synonym for "alter his work"?

Good synonyms for "alter his work" include "modify his work", "revise his work", or "change his work". The best choice depends on the specific context and the degree of change being described.

Is it correct to say "make alterations to his work" instead of "alter his work"?

Yes, "make alterations to his work" is a grammatically correct and semantically similar alternative to "alter his work". It emphasizes the act of making specific changes or modifications.

What is the difference between "adapt his work" and "alter his work"?

"Alter his work" generally refers to making changes to something that already exists. "Adapt his work" usually refers to modifying something to suit a new purpose or condition.