but no real progress

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "but no real progress" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that despite efforts or actions taken, there has been no significant advancement or improvement in a situation. Example: "We have been working on the project for months, but no real progress has been made towards our goals."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Senate and administration negotiators talked throughout the day, but no real progress was apparent.

The Washington Post

We have Article 189b on codecision based on common rules, but no real progress.

EU Parlament

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

No matter how many experiments they run with their MVP, this team will find themselves stuck doing faux lean startup but making no real progress However, after benchmarking where the team are today in an objective fashion, it becomes easier to make decisions around what they need to do next.

Forbes

Her path will be the politician's path of cautious calculation, marred by the give and take that all but guarantees no real progress will be made on the most crucial issues.

Huffington Post

The Assad government and opposition figures sat down with a U.N. mediator this week but have made no real progress.

The Washington Post

President Trump has said he wants to strike bilateral trade deals with countries in Asia, but there's no real progress to report.

The Washington Post

Make sure to highlight how you've tried hard to solve the problems you're dealing with, but have seen no real progress or success from your efforts.

WikiHow

There have also been talks in recent weeks between the two sides to revisit the subject of settlement, but they have made no real progress, people close to those discussions said.

The New York Times

The population voted in a referendum in 2003 to turn Qatar into a constitutional monarchy with a directly-elected legislative body, but human rights groups say no real progress has been made towards that purported goal.

Vice

In this sense, Meghan becomes like an Obama figure: People can pretend that things have changed because look, there she is; but in reality, there is no real progress.

Vice

In this sense, Meghan becomes like an Obama figure: people can pretend that things have changed because look, there she is; but in reality, there is no real progress.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "but no real progress", ensure that the preceding context clearly establishes the efforts or actions that have been undertaken. This provides a clearer understanding of the lack of advancement despite those efforts.

Common error

Avoid using "but no real progress" to suggest complete stagnation when minor, incremental improvements may have occurred. Acknowledge smaller gains, even if they don't constitute substantial progress.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "but no real progress" functions as a contrastive conjunction phrase, indicating that despite previous actions or circumstances, there has been a lack of meaningful advancement. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Science

20%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "but no real progress" is a grammatically sound and usable expression indicating a lack of meaningful advancement despite prior efforts. Ludwig confirms its correctness. While not overly formal, it’s appropriate for neutral contexts such as news reporting and general discussions. Related phrases offer alternatives for varying degrees of formality or emphasis. As exemplified by Ludwig, the contexts where this phrase is used most frequently are news and media followed by science. Remember to provide context establishing previous efforts when using this phrase to maximize clarity, and to acknowledge smaller improvements if they exist.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

but no tangible advancement

Replaces "real progress" with "tangible advancement", emphasizing the lack of concrete forward movement.

but no significant improvement

Substitutes "real progress" with "significant improvement", highlighting the absence of notable betterment.

but no genuine headway

Replaces "real progress" with "genuine headway", indicating a lack of authentic forward motion.

but no actual development

Uses "actual development" instead of "real progress", focusing on the absence of factual growth or evolution.

yet no substantial gain

Replaces "but" with "yet" and "real progress" with "substantial gain", stressing the lack of considerable benefit.

despite this, no forward movement

Rephrases the initial conjunction and replaces "real progress" with "forward movement", emphasizing the lack of direction.

however, no clear advancement

Changes "but" to "however" and "real progress" to "clear advancement", underlining the lack of distinct progression.

in spite of everything, no meaningful change

Expresses contrast more strongly while substituting "real progress" with "meaningful change", focusing on the lack of significant transformation.

nonetheless, no visible forward step

Uses "nonetheless" for contrast and replaces "real progress" with "visible forward step", highlighting the absence of perceptible advancement.

regrettably, no positive change

Adds an element of regret while replacing "real progress" with "positive change", emphasizing the lack of favorable alteration.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "but no real progress" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases such as "however, there has been "no significant advancement"" or "despite this, "no substantial improvement"".

What's a more concise way to say "but no real progress"?

Alternatives like "but no headway" or "but no gain" can be used for brevity, depending on the specific context.

Is it always appropriate to use "but no real progress" in professional writing?

While grammatically correct, "but no real progress" might sound slightly informal. Consider using more polished alternatives like "however, there has been "limited progress"" or "despite efforts, "advancement remains limited"" for professional contexts.

What are some common situations where "but no real progress" might be used?

"But no real progress" is often used in discussions about projects, negotiations, or personal development when describing a lack of meaningful change despite efforts to achieve it. You might also use "but no tangible results".