could be commencing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "could be commencing" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something may be starting or beginning in the near future. Example: "The meeting could be commencing shortly, so please take your seats."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Angus Campbell, head of sales at Capital Spreads, said: The shake out in equities could be commencing as it dawns on investors that the good days of cheap money and stimulus driven growth may come to an end sooner than previously thought.

The Guardian - Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Bernanke said if the economic conditions improved sufficiently, tapering could be commenced "later in the year".

Huffington Post

However, these (and other) medications could be commenced after randomization if the usual doctor considered it appropriate (for example, because of changed clinical circumstances) [12].

Plosone

This meant that in the light of new clinical circumstances or the emergence of new evidence, additional cardiovascular medicines, including statins and other lipid modifying treatments, could be commenced during the course of the trial.

Plosone

Given that there is often a delay of several hours between when an injury occurs and when a patient arrives at a medical facility, the prospects for limiting secondary grey matter damage are not good unless these treatments could be commenced early by attending paramedics.

Plosone

In depth studies could be commenced in these areas in order to identify vectors and reservoirs.

BMC Infectious Diseases

Seven hours was chosen as the cut-off because this meant that NAC could be commenced within 8 h.

Clinical Toxicology

Clinicians believed that centres needed to be sufficiently incentivised by health systems to provide home haemodialysis at rates comparable with in-centre haemodialysis before home haemodialysis could be commenced in their centres.

BMJ Open

A short recovery time could be assumed in people with good physical condition, and to avoid recovery, the exercise on the stationary bicycle therefore took place beside the force platform, so that the test after exercise could be commenced within 10 s.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

The cycling was stopped when the subjects had reached a heart rate exceeding 60% of the predicted HRmax, perceived the exercise as hard or very hard (values of 14 17 on the RPE scale), and had reached steady-state heart rate; i.e., after approximately 5 min. The exercise on the stationary bicycle took place beside the force platform, so that the test after exercise could be commenced within 10 s.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Nineteen patients were excluded from the study where enteral nutrition could not be commenced within 48 hours due to various reasons.

Critical Care

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "could be commencing" when you want to express a possibility or potential start of an event or process, particularly in formal contexts where 'commencing' is appropriate.

Common error

Avoid using "commencing" in casual conversation or informal writing; opt for simpler alternatives like "starting" or "beginning" for better readability.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "could be commencing" functions as an auxiliary verb phrase indicating possibility and the start of an action or event. It's a modal construction suggesting a potential future occurrence. As Ludwig AI explained, the phrase is grammatically correct and can be used to indicate that something may be starting or beginning in the near future.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "could be commencing" is a grammatically sound way to express the potential beginning of an event, as confirmed by Ludwig. While not as common as simpler alternatives like "might be starting", it finds appropriate use in neutral to slightly formal contexts, especially in scientific and news-related writing. Be mindful of the formality level and choose simpler alternatives when writing for a casual audience. Remember, while grammatically correct, its impact depends on the context!

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

might be starting

Replaces "could" with "might", indicating a slightly lower probability.

may be beginning

Substitutes "could" with "may", suggesting possibility, and "commencing" with "beginning", a more common term.

is potentially starting

Emphasizes the potential aspect of the commencement.

is possibly beginning

Highlights the possibility of the beginning.

could start

Simplifies the phrase to a more direct expression of potential commencement.

might begin

Replaces "could be commencing" with a simpler form indicating possibility.

may start

Uses "may" instead of "could" and "start" instead of "commencing" for a more straightforward expression.

is on the verge of starting

Suggests that something is about to start very soon.

is about to commence

Uses "is about to" to indicate near-future commencement, replacing "could be".

is scheduled to begin

Indicates a planned or expected beginning, differing from a potential one.

FAQs

What does "could be commencing" mean?

The phrase "could be commencing" suggests that something has the potential or possibility of starting or beginning soon. It implies a degree of uncertainty about whether the event will actually begin.

What can I say instead of "could be commencing"?

You can use alternatives like "might be starting", "may be beginning", or "is potentially starting" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "could be commencing" formal or informal?

"Could be commencing" is generally considered more formal due to the use of the word "commencing". In informal contexts, simpler alternatives like "might be starting" are often preferred.

When is it appropriate to use "could be commencing"?

Use "could be commencing" in situations where you want to express a possibility or potential start in a relatively formal or professional setting. Avoid it in casual or informal conversations where simpler language is more suitable.