can only establish

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "can only establish" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when indicating a limitation on what can be created, proven, or set up in a particular context. Example: "The evidence presented can only establish a correlation, not causation."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

18 human-written examples

Given this frustrating combination of misinformation and ignorance, we can only establish the irrefutable facts about Washington's earliest years, then sketch as best we can the murkier patterns of influence on his early development.

The New York Times - Books

However, as I do not have administrative data, I can only establish the link between children and parents when they are living in the same household.

Latin American Economic Review

Given N N nodes with various preset activity states, due to limited resources, we can only establish N E edges between these nodes.

International Journal of Disaster Risk Science

We wish to reiterate that with cross-sectional data, we can only establish associations or relationships between variables, but cannot rule out whether this association is not caused by another unmeasured variable.

Large-scale Assessments in Education

Since the continuous embedding H1 ↪ L∞ holds only in one space dimension, we can only establish the uniform maximum-norm estimates about time for the solution in one space dimension.

Advances in Difference Equations

We can only establish that infiltration-type debris flows were not observed within the area burned by the Big Creek Fire during the period when a burned, forested area has an increased susceptibility due to root decay.

Geoenvironmental Disasters

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

For example, the stakeholder relationship can only connect a company or person to a requirement, whereas derive relationship can be only established between two requirements.

EURASIP Journal on Embedded Systems

A definite diagnosis of AD can only be established by postmortem studies that demonstrate the presence of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular tau neurofibrillary tangles [ 1].

Alzheimer's Research and Therapy

Verhofstadt: The United States of Europe can only be established with the help of the citizens, that's why we need to establish a movement that promotes this goal.

Huffington Post

"Freedom can only be established by Cubans themselves.

The Guardian

Ownership can only be established if someone gets hold of the nominee agreement, but these papers are guarded away and treated as top secret.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When employing "can only establish", ensure that the context clearly indicates what cannot be established, providing a complete and transparent picture to the reader.

Common error

Avoid using "can only establish" when the evidence is strong enough to support a more definitive conclusion. Ensure the phrase aligns with the actual strength and scope of the supporting data.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "can only establish" functions as a modal phrase indicating a limitation on what can be proven, created, or determined. As Ludwig AI states, the phrase is grammatically correct and usable. It is typically used to temper expectations or qualify the scope of findings.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

3%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "can only establish" is a grammatically sound way to express limitations on what can be proven or determined, often found in scientific, news, and formal contexts. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage, emphasizing its role in accurately reflecting the scope of evidence. When using this phrase, it's important to avoid overstating conclusions and clarify what aspects cannot be established. Alternative phrases include "can merely ascertain" and "are limited to proving", each offering a slightly different shade of meaning. By understanding the correct usage and limitations, writers can use "can only establish" to convey precision and transparency.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

are only able to determine

Emphasizes the ability to determine something but with limitations.

can merely ascertain

Focuses on the act of finding something out for certain, but suggests it's a basic level of discovery.

can solely confirm

Highlights that the only action possible is to confirm something, without further development.

are limited to proving

Indicates a boundary on the extent of proof that can be provided.

can at most demonstrate

Suggests the highest level of achievement possible is to show something, but not necessarily prove it conclusively.

can justifiably claim

Highlights the possibility of making a claim with a solid foundation, but there might still be some limitations.

can reasonably infer

Implies that the conclusion is logical and supported by the evidence at hand, with possible minor uncertainties.

are restricted to showing

Emphasizes a confinement to the extent of the action.

can tentatively conclude

Focuses on a conclusion that is subject to change in the future.

can only approximate

Stresses that it is possible to get close but not exactly right.

FAQs

How can I use "can only establish" in a sentence?

You can use "can only establish" to indicate the limitations of what evidence or data can prove, such as "The data "can only establish" a correlation, not causation".

What are some alternatives to "can only establish"?

Alternatives include phrases like "can merely ascertain", "are limited to proving", or "can solely confirm", depending on the nuance you wish to convey.

What's the difference between "can only establish" and "can definitively prove"?

"Can only establish" suggests a limited scope of proof, whereas "can definitively prove" indicates a conclusive and certain demonstration. The choice depends on the strength of the evidence.

Is it appropriate to use "can only establish" in formal writing?

Yes, "can only establish" is appropriate in formal writing when accurately reflecting the constraints of available evidence. It conveys precision and avoids overinterpretation.