cause harms

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "cause harms" is not commonly used in standard written English; the correct form is "cause harm." You can use it when discussing the negative effects or consequences of an action or situation.
Example: "The pollution from the factory can cause harm to the local wildlife."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

The crucial difference between the positions then is that for naturalists, diseases are objectively malfunctioning biological processes that cause harms.

SEP

Additionally, pro-environmental behaviour infers do not cause harms or even improve environment's condition (Steg and Vlek 2009) and entails that the consumer's concern will involve a more socially and environmentally responsible manner of acting (Balderjahn et al. 2013).

Agricultural and Food Economics

Answering this question correctly will require further research into how 'non-legal' methods of control operate and their ability to reduce the potential for crisis communication to cause harms (something which the author intends to pursue in a subsequent paper).

Life Sciences, Society and Policy

Giving lawyers and activists a free pass to commit crimes and fraud in the name of a noble cause harms the very interests they claim to represent and perverts our judicial system.

Huffington Post

Secondly, statins cause harms.

British Medical Journal

However, for other conditions, even small levels of non-adherence, or small interruptions to therapy, can reduce medication effectiveness or cause harms or unintended consequences.

Drug Safety

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Can they cause harm?

Independent

DO NARCOTIC drugs cause harm?

The Economist

Articles like this cause harm.

Independent

"Not to give aid can also cause harm," she says.

The New York Times - Magazine

Past misdeeds that cause harm are never irrelevant.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing the negative consequences of an action, use the grammatically correct phrase "cause harm" or consider alternatives like "inflict damage" for better clarity and impact.

Common error

Be mindful not to pluralize "harm" when using it as a direct object of "cause". The correct form is "cause harm", as "harm" refers to the general concept of damage or injury, not multiple instances of it.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "cause harms" functions as a verb phrase where "cause" is the verb and "harms" is intended as the direct object, though used incorrectly. Ludwig's data suggests it is often meant to describe the act of inflicting damage or negative consequences.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

43%

News & Media

43%

Wiki

14%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "cause harms" appears in various contexts, Ludwig AI highlights that it is grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "cause harm". The intended meaning is to express that something leads to negative effects, but it's better to use the correct form or consider using alternatives such as "inflict harm", "lead to damage", or "result in injury". Most usages comes from "Science" and "News & Media".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

inflict harm

Focuses on the act of imposing damage or injury.

lead to damage

Emphasizes the resulting damage from a particular action or event.

result in injury

Highlights the outcome as physical or emotional harm.

create detriment

Underscores the creation of disadvantage or loss.

generate adversity

Stresses the production of unfavorable conditions or misfortune.

produce negative effects

Highlights the production of unwanted or adverse outcomes.

trigger impairment

Suggests the initiation of diminished function or capacity.

induce suffering

Highlights the causation of pain or distress.

precipitate problems

Focuses on the hastening or bringing about of difficulties.

foster morbidity

Emphasizes the promotion or encouragement of disease or illness.

FAQs

What is the correct way to use the phrase?

The correct way to use the phrase is "cause harm". "Harms" is not typically used as a plural noun in this context.

What can I say instead of "cause harms"?

You can use alternatives like "inflict harm", "lead to damage", or "result in injury".

Is "cause harms" grammatically correct?

No, "cause harms" is not grammatically correct. The correct form is "cause harm".

How to use "cause harm" in a sentence?

You can use "cause harm" in a sentence like: "The pollution from the factory can "cause harm" to the local wildlife".