be sustaining

USAGE SUMMARY

"be sustaining" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it in contexts where you want to describe something that provides ongoing support or nourishment. Example: "The community programs are designed to be sustaining for local families." Alternative expressions include "be supportive" and "be nourishing."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

38 human-written examples

Mr. Obama may be sustaining damage in subtler ways.

The New York Times

The bigger issue may be sustaining the effort.

The New York Times

More important than increasing spending will be sustaining the attention of top officials.

The New York Times

If there were to be any hostilities, they would be sustaining a terrible blow.

The New Yorker

Lonergan is an atheist, but his work frequently explores how religious faith might be sustaining, or shaken by lived experience.

The New Yorker

The blessings appeared to be sustaining him, even on that final day, according to those closest to him.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

21 human-written examples

How can it be sustained?

The New York Times - Arts

Can it be sustained?

The Guardian - Books

This seems unlikely to be sustained.

The New Yorker

But the fantasy cannot be sustained.

The New York Times

But will the recovery be sustained?

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "be sustaining" in active contexts where the subject is the provider of support or the one experiencing a process. For example, use it to describe how an ecosystem might be sustaining life or how a company might be sustaining losses.

Common error

Do not use "be sustaining" when you actually mean the passive form "be sustained". Use the progressive "be sustaining" for ongoing actions performed by the subject, while the passive is for actions happening to the subject without a focus on the ongoing process.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "be sustaining" functions as a progressive infinitive in the active voice. It combines the auxiliary verb "to be" with the present participle of "sustain". According to Ludwig, it is frequently used after modal verbs (might, could, may) or as part of a future or conditional construction to indicate an ongoing action or state.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "be sustaining" is a versatile and grammatically correct phrase that effectively communicates ongoing support, maintenance, or the experience of a process. Ludwig AI confirms its widespread use in high-authority journalistic and scientific writing. It is particularly useful when you want to emphasize that an action is not just a single event but a continuous state. Whether describing how an aura of experimentation might "be sustaining" a film cast or how destructive lesions might "be sustaining" inflammation in a medical context, the phrase offers a nuanced way to describe persistence. Writers should be mindful of the distinction between this active form and the passive "be sustained" to ensure clear communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

be supporting

Emphasizes the act of providing physical or financial assistance

be maintaining

Focuses on keeping a current state or level consistent

be experiencing

Used when the context involves suffering or undergoing something like damage

be nourishing

Specific to providing biological or emotional health

be withstanding

Suggests active resistance or endurance against pressure

be preserving

Focuses on protecting something from decay or change

be stabilizing

Implies the act of making something steady or firm

be perpetuating

Suggests causing a situation or belief to continue indefinitely

be reinforcing

Focuses on making an existing structure or idea stronger

be undergoing

A more formal way to describe being subjected to a process

FAQs

How to use "be sustaining" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe an ongoing state of support, such as: "The new policies appear to "be sustaining" economic growth."

What can I say instead of "be sustaining"?

Depending on your meaning, you could use "be supporting", "be maintaining", or "be experiencing".

Which is correct, "be sustaining" or "be sustained"?

Both are correct but have different meanings. ""be sustaining"" is active and ongoing, while ""be sustained"" is usually passive, referring to something that is kept in existence by an external force.

What is the difference between "be sustaining" and "be supporting"?

While similar, "be supporting" often implies a more direct or physical help, whereas ""be sustaining"" suggests a deep, long-term maintenance of life or existence.