ascertain to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "ascertain to" is not correct or usable in written English.
You can use the phrase "ascertain" on its own. For example, "We must ascertain the facts before we can make a decision."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

43 human-written examples

We must ascertain, to the best of our ability, that the facts presented in the piece are, in fact, facts.

The New York Times

While the school districts are required to implement the new law, it is difficult to ascertain to what degree they have been teaching their Spanish-speaking students in English.

The New York Times

We want to ascertain to what extent environmental factors control primary colonization, establishment and early dynamics of vegetation on dry Mediterranean roadcuts.

Ecological Engineering

The federal appeals court panel weighing President Trump's travel ban focused acutely on Trump's own comments at a hearing Monday — lobbing skeptical inquiries at lawyers on both sides of the issue as they tried to ascertain to what extent they should hold the president's inflammatory rhetoric against him.

The Washington Post

The objective of the present investigation is to ascertain to what degree chemical kinetics and/or molecular transport effects can explain the differences in NOx reduction observed between fuel-side and air-side introduction of flue gases by studying laminar diffusion flames.

Combustion and Flame

In several cases, says one, the European subsidiaries of Russian companies thought to be controlled by parties on sanctions lists suddenly appear to be only indirectly owned by them, thanks to the creation of a new corporate layer (ownership of which is hard or impossible to ascertain) to hold a majority stake in them.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

17 human-written examples

Safety check sheets were made to ascertain adherence to contents of the educational program.

JA Clinical Reports

This makes it difficult to ascertain who to trust in times of crisis.

Vice

Data to ascertain adherence to dispensed ARV drugs was unavailable.

BMC Public Health

This matter has been ascertained to be of nonbiological origin.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The rumor that the vacation would be in the Caribbean was ascertained to be hard fact.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming to 'find something out for certain', use "ascertain" on its own, instead of the ungrammatical "ascertain to".

Common error

Don't add "to" after "ascertain". "Ascertain" already encompasses the meaning of finding something out, making the addition of "to" redundant and grammatically incorrect.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function is typically as a verb, indicating the action of finding something out definitely. However, the inclusion of "to" renders the phrase grammatically incorrect, as highlighted by Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

29%

News & Media

21%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the intention behind using "ascertain to" is to express the act of discovering something definitively, the phrase is grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI confirms that the correct usage is simply "ascertain", followed directly by the object of inquiry. It's crucial to avoid adding "to" after "ascertain" to maintain grammatical correctness and clarity, particularly in formal and scientific writing. Consider using alternatives like "determine", "establish", or "find out" if you're looking for variations in expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

ascertain

Use "ascertain" without the "to".

determine

Directly replaces "ascertain to" with a more concise and grammatically sound verb.

verify

Emphasizes confirming the truth or accuracy of something.

establish

Focuses on firmly setting or proving something as true.

confirm

Similar to verify, but can also mean to strengthen or support a belief.

discover

Suggests uncovering something previously unknown.

uncover

Highlights the act of revealing something hidden or secret.

find out

Offers a more informal and direct way to discover information.

learn

Implies gaining knowledge or understanding about something.

figure out

A more colloquial way to say to solve or understand a problem or situation.

FAQs

How to use "ascertain" correctly in a sentence?

Use "ascertain" directly followed by the object of your inquiry. For instance, instead of "ascertain to what degree", say "ascertain what degree".

What can I say instead of "ascertain to"?

Replace "ascertain to" with single-word alternatives like "determine", "establish", or "find out" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "ascertain to" or "ascertain"?

"Ascertain" is the correct form. "Ascertain to" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided.

What's the difference between "ascertain" and "verify"?

"Ascertain" means to find something out for certain, while "verify" means to confirm the truth or accuracy of something. While related, "ascertain" focuses on the discovery, and "verify" on confirmation.