capable of breathing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "capable of breathing" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an organism or entity that has the ability to breathe, often in a biological or metaphorical context. Example: "The newly discovered species is capable of breathing in both water and air, making it unique among aquatic animals."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

Some others, like the Siamese fighting fish, are capable of breathing air in addition to extracting oxygen from the water with their gills.

University of California, Berkeley

Commentators have said that if William Hague was the Michael Foot of the Conservative party, its next leader needs to be a Kinnock, capable of breathing life and respectability into the party.

The Guardian

Into Hillsborough in her place slid the elegant Mr Mandelson, one of Britain's least-loved politicians, ever so 'umble after his recent spell in the wilderness, but the man whom Tony Blair apparently deems uniquely capable of breathing life into the province's moribund Good Friday Agreement.Can he?

The Economist

It is her interpretations of Bob Dylan, however, which, while naturally infuriating the odd hardcore Dylan purist, have done the most to earn her reputation as a heavyweight artist with a light touch, capable of breathing new life into material that never seemed to need it.

Independent

Social media is being touted as the magic elixir capable of breathing new life into every brand.

Forbes

2. Ely EW, Baker AM, Dunagan DP, et al. Effect on the duration of mechanical ventilation of identifying patients capable of breathing spontaneously.

Intensive Care Medicine Experimental

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

He has in hand a group of young performers very capable of handling the difficult job of breathing life into Stoppard's work.

Los Angeles Times

Increased work of breathing.

Annals of Intensive Care

Breathing status is described as follows 'NORMAL' when BR is between 10 and 20; 'LOwhenhen BR < 10; 'HIGH' when BR > 20. Figure 3 shows a screen shot of the user interface for an irregular breathing pattern, where the subject ceases breathing for a few seconds, in order to demonstrate that our sensor system is capable of monitoring breathing abnormalities in real time.

Biomedical Optics Express

The ideal OSAS treatment, whatever it may be, should be capable of normalizing breathing during sleep, consequently eliminating excessive daytime sleepiness and neuropsychiatric and cardiovascular changes [1].

Progress in Orthodontics

The study was performed using a lung model capable of spontaneous breathing.

Critical Care

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a specific adaptation that allows an organism to breathe in a particular environment, use "capable of breathing" to emphasize this unique ability. For instance, "This fish is "capable of breathing" both in water and in air."

Common error

While grammatically correct, "capable of breathing" can sound overly formal in everyday conversation. Opt for simpler alternatives like "able to breathe" or just "breathing" when the context doesn't require a formal tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "capable of breathing" functions as an adjective phrase modifying a noun. It describes the ability or capacity to perform the action of breathing. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is usable in written English. Examples in Ludwig show it describing organisms, machines, and even political entities.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

33%

Academia

17%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "capable of breathing" is a grammatically correct and usable adjective phrase that describes the ability to respire. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is valid. While less common in everyday conversation, it is suitable for professional, scientific, and news contexts where precision is valued. It most frequently appears in scientific or medical contexts discussing physiological or mechanical aspects of respiration. Alternatives include "able to breathe", "having respiratory capacity", and other similar phrases depending on the desired level of formality and emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

capable of respiration

Similar to "able to respire" but maintains the 'capable of' structure.

able to respire

Replaces "breathing" with the more formal "respire", indicating a biological or scientific context.

with the ability to breathe

A more verbose but grammatically similar alternative, adding slight emphasis.

having respiratory capacity

Focuses on the capacity or ability of the respiratory system.

equipped for breathing

Suggests a specific adaptation or feature that enables breathing.

able to draw breath

Emphasizes the action of inhaling, suitable for describing a struggle or effort.

able to take in air

A simpler, more direct way of describing the ability to breathe.

able to ventilate

Uses "ventilate" to highlight the mechanical aspect of moving air in and out of the lungs.

with a functioning respiratory system

Highlights the physiological system responsible for breathing.

having the breath of life

A more metaphorical and poetic expression of being alive and able to breathe.

FAQs

How can I use "capable of breathing" in a sentence?

You can use "capable of breathing" to describe the ability of an organism or a system to respire. For example: "The device is designed for patients "capable of breathing spontaneously"".

What are some alternatives to "capable of breathing"?

Alternatives include "able to breathe", "able to respire", or "having respiratory capacity", depending on the context and level of formality.

Is it correct to say "capable to breathe" instead of "capable of breathing"?

No, the correct phrasing is "capable of breathing". "Capable" requires the preposition "of" when followed by a gerund (a verb acting as a noun). Using "to" makes the sentence grammatically incorrect.

What does it mean to be "capable of breathing spontaneously"?

To be "capable of breathing spontaneously" means that a person or organism can breathe on their own without the assistance of mechanical ventilation or other external support.