certainly understanding

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "certainly understanding" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to express a strong acknowledgment or comprehension of something, but the construction is awkward and unclear. Example: "I am certainly understanding the complexities of this issue, but I still have questions."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

"Initially, I think Iowans were certainly understanding and willing to hear his side," he said, "but it's been one thing after another, after another, after another".

The New York Times

"Initially, I think Iowans were certainly understanding and willing to hear his side, but it's been one thing after another, after another, after another," said Gov. Terry E. Branstad of Iowa, who has met all the candidates as they have campaigned for the Iowa caucuses.

The New York Times

But Green also emphasized that "people with clusters have a real, genuine suicide risk," and that he's "certainly understanding and sympathetic that someone who just can't get relief with existing products would be willing to do most anything to get rid of the attacks".

Vice

But Green also emphasized that "people with clusters have a real, genuine suicide risk," and that he's "certainly understanding and sympathetic that someone who just can't get relief with existing products would be willing to do most anything to get rid of the attacks". Personally, shrooms and DALT are what work for me.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

The teachings of the prophets and their moral principles are certainly worth understanding and, perhaps, if observations of the world indicate that they lead to good ends, worth following.

Huffington Post

While this is not always the case, it will certainly help understanding your financial situation.

WikiHow

Businesses made plans, certainly, but without understanding the underlying dynamics of competition, costs, and customers.

Harvard Business Review

But it's certainly helpful in understanding the timidity of Wales's historians, absorbed as they are within a comforting but unquestioning national culture.

The Guardian - Opinion

And while this doesn't completely account for Jenny's swerve into radicalism, we are certainly closer to understanding the forces that drive her.

The New York Times - Books

While the general institutional context is certainly crucial for understanding a film, the auteur theory does nonetheless provide a useful focus for some efforts in the scholarly study of film: an exploration of the work of individual directors.

SEP

You know the future so well you are certainly capable of understanding this matter.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "certainly understanding" in formal writing. Instead, opt for more conventional phrases such as "certainly understand" or "clearly understand". This ensures clarity and grammatical correctness.

Common error

A common mistake is using the present continuous tense with stative verbs like "understand". Replace "certainly understanding" with "certainly understand" or rephrase to "clearly comprehend" for better grammatical accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "certainly understanding" functions as an adverb-verb combination intended to express a state of comprehension with emphasis. However, it is grammatically awkward because "understand" is a stative verb not typically used in the continuous tense. Ludwig AI indicates the phrase is not correct.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "certainly understanding" aims to express a strong sense of comprehension, it is grammatically unconventional and generally considered incorrect. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is not correct. More appropriate alternatives include "certainly understand", "clearly understand", or "definitely understand", which offer better clarity and grammatical accuracy. Although examples exist in news and scientific contexts, it's advisable to avoid "certainly understanding" in formal writing. Opting for grammatically standard alternatives enhances clarity and professionalism in communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

certainly understand

Changes from present continuous to simple present tense making the phrase more grammatically acceptable.

definitely understand

Changes from present continuous to simple present tense with different word choice.

definitely understanding

Replaces "certainly" with "definitely" which is grammatically sound, but the whole phrase remains uncommon and not advisable.

surely understand

Adopts another synonymous adverb to improve the flow and meaning of the phrase while being more grammatically accepted.

assuredly understanding

Substitutes "certainly" with "assuredly", keeping the emphasis but still sounding unnatural.

assuredly understand

Switches to simple present tense and use "assuredly" rather than "certainly", which, however, remains uncommon.

absolutely understanding

Replaces "certainly" with "absolutely" to emphasize comprehension, although the phrase structure remains unusual.

absolutely understand

By using "absolutely understand", the phrase is slightly more standard, although it is still not very common.

clearly understanding

Emphasizes the clarity of understanding, providing a slightly more natural feel but remains uncommon.

undoubtedly understanding

Replaces "certainly" with "undoubtedly", which has similar significance but makes the phrase less natural.

FAQs

What's the difference between "certainly understanding" and "certainly understand"?

"Certainly understanding" uses the present continuous tense, which is grammatically incorrect with stative verbs like "understand". "Certainly understand" is the correct form, using the simple present tense to express a state of comprehension.

How can I rephrase "certainly understanding" to sound more natural?

Instead of "certainly understanding", consider using phrases like "clearly "understand"", "definitely "understand"", or "absolutely "understand"" depending on the context and the level of emphasis you want to convey.

Is "certainly understanding" ever correct in a sentence?

While grammatically questionable, "certainly understanding" might appear in informal contexts. However, for clear and professional communication, it is best to use alternatives like "certainly "understand"".

What are some synonyms for "certainly" when expressing understanding?

When you want to express understanding with certainty, you can use words such as "definitely", "assuredly", "absolutely", or "clearly". For example, "I clearly "understand" your point".