cause a possibility

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "cause a possibility" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to express the idea of creating or leading to a potential outcome, but it lacks clarity and proper usage. Example: "The new policy could cause a possibility of increased productivity among employees."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The advent of these inhibitors of the COX-2 enzyme held the hope of pain relief with less damage to the stomach than aspirin can cause, a possibility borne out to some extent by clinical studies.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

This thermal treatment is essential for controlled ceramization causing a possibility to stabilize constituting amounts of some nanocrystals (Ga2Se3, GeSe2 and/or GeGa4Se8) in the final structure of reproducible glass ceramics.

Nanoscale Research Letters

On the other hand, the Finnish diagnostic criteria for COPD [ 19, 22] were introduced before GOLD criteria were set, and the cutoff point used for FEV1/FVC was higher than in GOLD causing a possibility of over-diagnosis of COPD.

BMC Family Practice

That a world as beautiful as ours might be the effect of an unintelligent cause is a possibility that does not so much as cross Plato's mind.

SEP

Three factors are discussed as principal causes of a possibility of an overestimation of γapb on applying order-hardening theory.

Acta Materialia

During the speech, Mr. Maduro said the government suspected that the president's enemies had found a way to cause his cancer, a possibility that Mr. Chávez had once raised.

The New York Times

This finding indicates that at least some of the time-associated episodes of sepsis and renal dysfunction may also be just time-related rather than the result of cause and effect – a possibility that is usually not discussed in studies of burned patients where AKI is considered to be strongly associated with sepsis [ 10, 12, 15, 17, 19].

Critical Care

Other causes will be a possibility that one of multiple adenocarcinomas might be present originally in the vicinity of the cut-end and metachronously grow and be another one of single focal metastasis from the first adenocarcinoma of the precedent contra-lateral lung.

Surgical Case Reports

Since there could be uncertainty about the strain that ultimately would cause a pandemic, the possibility to induce cross-clade immunity may afford broad protective immunity against a variety of different strains.

Plosone

Furthermore, cause of death was based on death certificate data; and, therefore, misclassification of cause of death is a possibility.

British Journal of Cancer

In that regard, Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania eschews problematic, which can mean either "causing difficulty" or "expressing a possibility," and prefers problemsome.

The New York Times - Magazine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Instead of using "cause a possibility", opt for clearer and more common phrases like "create a possibility" or "lead to a potential outcome". This will improve the clarity and readability of your writing.

Common error

Using "cause a possibility" can sound unnatural. Replace it with stronger verbs that clearly indicate the creation or emergence of a potential outcome, such as "generate", "initiate" or "foster".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "cause a possibility" functions as a verb phrase where "cause" acts as the main verb, attempting to express the initiation of a potential outcome. However, as noted by Ludwig AI, the phrase is not considered correct in standard English. The intended meaning is often better conveyed using alternative phrasings.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

40%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "cause a possibility" attempts to express the idea of initiating a potential outcome. However, Ludwig AI indicates that this phrase is not grammatically correct or standard in English. While it appears in a few contexts, primarily Science and News & Media, its usage is infrequent and often sounds awkward. Clearer and more common alternatives such as "create a possibility" or "lead to a possibility" are recommended for better clarity and readability. Therefore, it's advisable to avoid "cause a possibility" in favor of more conventional phrasing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

create a possibility

This alternative directly replaces "cause" with "create", resulting in a more conventional and grammatically sound expression.

lead to a possibility

Replaces "cause" with "lead to", emphasizing the sequential nature of the outcome.

give rise to a possibility

Uses the idiomatic expression "give rise to" to convey the idea of initiating a potential outcome.

open up a possibility

Emphasizes that something becomes available or accessible as a result.

present a possibility

Highlights that something is now an option or consideration.

generate a potential

Focuses on creating a capacity for something to develop.

engender a prospect

Uses a more formal term, "engender", to indicate the origin of a future event.

initiate a chance

Emphasizes the beginning of an opportunity.

prompt an opportunity

Suggests that something triggers or encourages a chance to occur.

establish a potential

Implies setting the groundwork for something that could happen.

FAQs

What are some alternatives to "cause a possibility"?

Instead of "cause a possibility", consider using phrases like "create a possibility", "lead to a possibility", or "give rise to a possibility" for clearer communication.

Is "cause a possibility" grammatically correct?

While understandable, "cause a possibility" is not the most conventional or grammatically sound phrase. Alternatives such as "create a possibility" are generally preferred.

How can I use "cause" more effectively in similar contexts?

Focus on using "cause" to directly link an action or event to a result, for example, "The rain caused the flood." Avoid using "cause" when the intent is to express the creation of an opportunity or potential, and prefer "lead to" or "create".

What's the difference between "cause a possibility" and "create a possibility"?

"Create a possibility" is a more standard and direct way to express the idea of bringing a potential outcome into existence. "Cause a possibility" can sound awkward and is less common. Using "create a possibility" improves clarity and readability.