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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak
CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com
are highly grateful
Grammar usage guide and real-world examplesUSAGE SUMMARY
The phrase "are highly grateful" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used to express a strong sense of gratitude, but the correct form would be "are very grateful" or "are deeply grateful." Example: "We are very grateful for your support during this challenging time."
⚠ May contain grammatical issues
Science
News & Media
Formal & Business
Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Human-verified examples from authoritative sources
Exact Expressions
5 human-written examples
We are highly grateful to the Higher Education Commission, Islamabad, Pakistan for financial support.
Science
We are highly grateful for the valuable comments of Laura Esmail and Mamuka Djibuti, and the editorial team on the earlier version of the manuscript.
The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2393/11/28/prepub We are highly grateful to the reviewers for their valuable suggestions and critique.
Science
The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2431/14/49/prepub We are highly grateful to HENNA project (Higher Education Network for Applied Human Nutrition between Eastern Africa and Europe) and the ACP/Edulink programme for financing this study.
Science
The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/12/145/prepub The authors are highly grateful to the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee IAECC) for providing me the laboratory animals for the research project (IAEC Registration number 0436).
Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources
Similar Expressions
55 human-written examples
For academia, such companies are ideal partners: they are highly ambitious, stimulating, and grateful for creative contributions.
Thirdly, the vast majority of feedback and "recommend" ratings gathered from the friends and family test will be highly positive – grateful patients will use this as a way to thank those who cared for them and to reassure their peers of the quality of service.
News & Media
"I was extremely grateful.
Science
I am also highly grateful to the National Meteorology Service Agency of Bahir Dar (NMSA) for providing the necessary data and I also thank my informants in Jigna and Shime kebele, for their hospitality and welcoming approach.
"Then be grateful, be grateful," Eliot responded.
News & Media
I am grateful, very grateful, for your friendship".
News & Media
Expert writing Tips
Best practice
When expressing gratitude, use more common and grammatically accepted phrases such as "are very grateful" or "are deeply grateful".
Common error
Avoid using "highly" to intensify "grateful". While understandable, it's not standard English. Opt for intensifiers like "very", "deeply", or "extremely" to maintain grammatical correctness.
Source & Trust
88%
Authority and reliability
2.8/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested
Linguistic Context
The phrase "are highly grateful" functions as a predicate adjective, attempting to express a strong feeling of thankfulness or appreciation. However, as Ludwig AI points out, the usage of "highly" with "grateful" is not standard in English.
Frequent in
Science
60%
News & Media
20%
Formal & Business
20%
Less common in
Encyclopedias
0%
Wiki
0%
Reference
0%
Ludwig's WRAP-UP
In summary, while the phrase "are highly grateful" aims to express a strong feeling of gratitude, it is considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. As Ludwig AI's analysis confirms, better alternatives include phrases such as "are very grateful" or "are deeply grateful". Although examples can be found across various domains including science, news and formal documents, it is best to opt for grammatically sound alternatives to clearly and effectively convey your appreciation.
More alternative expressions(10)
Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:
are very grateful
Uses "very" instead of "highly" to modify "grateful", resulting in a more grammatically standard expression.
are deeply grateful
Replaces "highly" with "deeply", emphasizing the intensity of gratitude in a grammatically sound way.
are extremely grateful
Substitutes "highly" with "extremely", which is a more common and acceptable way to express strong gratitude.
are truly grateful
Emphasizes the genuineness of gratitude, differing slightly in focus from mere intensity.
are immensely grateful
Uses "immensely" to convey a great degree of gratitude, offering a stronger alternative.
are profoundly grateful
Conveys a deep and significant sense of gratitude, more emphatic than the original phrase.
express sincere gratitude
Shifts the focus to expressing gratitude, changing the grammatical structure.
are thankful
Uses a simpler word, "thankful", in place of "grateful", reducing formality.
appreciate it greatly
Rephrases the sentiment as an appreciation, altering both wording and grammatical structure.
are appreciative
Uses the adjective "appreciative" which expresses gratitude, but with a different tone.
FAQs
Is it grammatically correct to say "are highly grateful"?
No, it is not considered standard English. A more appropriate phrasing would be "are very grateful" or "are deeply grateful".
What are some alternatives to "are highly grateful"?
Some alternatives include "are extremely grateful", "are truly grateful", or "are immensely grateful".
Which is correct, "are highly grateful" or "are very grateful"?
"Are very grateful" is the grammatically correct and more commonly used phrase.
What's the difference between "are grateful" and "are highly grateful" if both express thanks?
While both express gratitude, "are grateful" is a general expression of thanks. "Are highly grateful" attempts to intensify the feeling but does so incorrectly; "are very grateful" is the standard way to express a high degree of gratitude.
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Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Source & Trust
88%
Authority and reliability
2.8/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested