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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak quote

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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commenced making

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

"commenced making" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when indicating the start of an action or process. Example: "She commenced making dinner as soon as she got home." Alternative expressions include "began making" and "started making."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

He commenced making his avatar leap from platform to platform, as he sought to "de-rez" his opponent by throwing disks at him.

News & Media

The New Yorker

About 1450, European astronomers commenced making fairly accurate measurements of the time of day or night when eclipses occurred, and this pursuit spread rapidly following the invention of the telescope.

By the time he'd got to Barcelona he had parlayed that 'title' into becoming European Champion (much of Europe being busy elsewhere in the spring of 1916…) and commenced making a living as a boxing instructor at the city's Marine Club.

We commenced making idiotic faces at each other.

News & Media

Vice

After he was done telling her he wanted this to be the "perfect party," she walked over to us and commenced making small talk, telling us her name was Daisy.

News & Media

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

It will be hardest of all to create a 3D form that moves for a constantly running filming but it can be done if you are ingenious in your thinking about ways to make the monsters move about (e.g., perhaps on matchboxes with small wheels pulled along by a string etc).. Commence making a movie using your monster.

When two subjects begin making sketches, concrete planning may have commenced.

News & Media

The New Yorker

"Early indications are that a car driver stopped his vehicle on the crossing before the barrier sequence commenced and made no attempt to leave the vehicle once the crossing traffic signals began to flash and the barriers descended," the report said.

News & Media

The Guardian

Many years before Grosseteste composed his translations of the Nicomachean Ethics and De caelo, he had been deeply engaged in the study of Aristotle's views on scientific knowledge and natural philosophy, and had composed a commentary on the Posterior Analytics and commenced and made substantial progress on a commentary on the Physics.

Science

SEP

The next morning, I opened "The American Craft Beer Cookbook" to page 10, laid it on the kitchen counter and commenced to make Scotch Egg.

News & Media

Huffington Post

Recruitment to the study and completion of the baseline survey commenced in January 2006, making this the latest date where all participants would uniformly have the opportunity to self-report a diagnosis of breast cancer.

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Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Ensure the gerund "making" follows immediately without a preposition if you want to emphasize the action itself rather than the process.

Common error

Writers often use "commenced making" in casual settings where it sounds unnaturally stiff. If you are writing a blog post or an email to a colleague, stick to "started making" or "began making" to maintain a natural flow.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

82%

Authority and reliability

4.7/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase "commenced making" functions as a transitive verb phrase where the verb "commence" takes a gerund phrase as its direct object. Ludwig AI confirms its status as a grammatically valid construction, commonly used to denote the initiation of a creative or physical task.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Encyclopedias

15%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Academia

3%

Formal & Business

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "commenced making" is a highly formal and sophisticated way to say "started making". While it is less frequent than its synonyms in everyday speech, Ludwig AI verifies its correctness across a variety of authoritative domains, including Science and News & Media. It is most effective when used in contexts that require precision or a serious tone, such as historical records or academic findings. Writers should be mindful of the formal register it carries and opt for simpler alternatives like "began making" in more casual or conversational environments to ensure clarity and naturalness.

FAQs

Is it correct to use "commenced making" in a sentence?

Yes, it is perfectly correct. As noted by Ludwig AI, it combines a formal verb with a gerund to indicate the start of a process. For example: "The astronomers "commenced making" measurements."

What is the difference between "commenced making" and "commenced to make"?

Both are grammatically acceptable. However, "commenced making" (gerund) is more common in modern usage, while "commenced to make" (infinitive) can feel slightly more old-fashioned.

Can I use "commenced making" in an academic paper?

Absolutely. It is an excellent choice for academic or scientific writing. You might also consider "initiated making" or "began the production of" for variety.

Is "commenced making" too formal for fiction?

It depends on the character or narrator. In fiction, it can be used to convey a character's pretension or to set a historical or very serious tone. For general narration, "started making" is usually preferred.

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Source & Trust

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Authority and reliability

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Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences: