could not be materialised

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "could not be materialised" is not correct in standard English; the correct form is "could not be materialized." You can use it when discussing something that cannot be brought into existence or made real, often in a formal or technical context.
Example: "The project could not be materialized due to a lack of funding."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Financial constraints were another limitation to the study in that comprehensive pilot testing of the recruitment strategy, on-site practice recruitment meetings and the engagement of a paid physician recruiter could not be materialised.

BMC Medical Research Methodology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

These have not been materialised to the extent that we expected".

The Guardian

Consequently, the bottom-up methods can help identify how performance improvement could be materialised.

International Journal of Sustainable Built Environment

The rest of the Plastic Beach out-takes may not be so quick to materialise.

The Guardian - Music

If those proposals fail to materialise, or to meet expectations, the cushion of unrealised equity gains on the banks' balance sheets could soon deflate.It should not be like this.

The Economist

What Fukuyama could not have known is that a new challenge to liberal democracy would eventually materialise, and that its primary roots would lie not in ideology but in bioscience and information technology.

The Guardian - Opinion

That plan never materialised and therefore we could not invest.

BBC

Furthermore, despite some rare ESC treatment failures verified in recent years [ 3– 14], the anticipated number of reported gonorrhoea treatment failures has not yet materialised, which could also be partly due to a lack of identification and under-reporting of treatment failures.

BMC Infectious Diseases

The manufacturing PMI jump this month suggests those risks are not yet materialising".

The Guardian - Business

But the economic boom promised by the discovery of oil was not to materialise.

The Guardian - Books

He said: "We have had demonstrations in front of parliament already and we are waiting for government action". The spokesman added that if it did not materialise, "there could be more protests".

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "could not be materialised" in formal writing. Instead, opt for the correct form, "could not be materialized", or even better alternatives like "could not be realized" or "did not happen" for clarity and grammatical correctness.

Common error

The verb "materialise" is often misspelled or used incorrectly, especially in formal contexts. Remember that in American English, the preferred spelling is "materialize". Always double-check your spelling and consider using more common alternatives to avoid this error.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "could not be materialised" functions as a modal verb phrase expressing the inability of something to become a reality. Ludwig AI indicates that "materialised" should be "materialized".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "could not be materialised" appears in some contexts, it's grammatically questionable; the correct form is "could not be materialized". Ludwig identifies this grammatical issue. Better alternatives include "could not be realized" or "did not happen". Its function is to express the failure of something to occur. Using the correct form, "materialized", and opting for simpler alternatives will improve clarity and grammatical accuracy in writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

did not materialize

Corrects the grammatical error in the original phrase, using the standard spelling and tense.

could not be realized

Replaces "materialised" with "realized", offering a more common and grammatically sound alternative.

could not be brought to fruition

Substitutes the original phrase with a more elaborate expression implying a failure to complete or achieve something.

could not take place

Indicates that an event was unable to occur, often due to external factors.

did not come to pass

Uses a more idiomatic expression to indicate that an event did not occur as expected.

never came to be

Emphasizes the non-existence or non-occurrence of something.

failed to happen

Offers a simpler, more direct way of saying that something did not occur.

could not be achieved

Focuses on the inability to reach a specific goal or outcome.

could not be accomplished

Highlights the inability to achieve or complete a task or objective.

was not possible

Highlights the impossibility of something occurring.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "could not be materialised"?

The grammatically correct alternative is "could not be materialized". You can also use options like "could not be realized" or "did not happen" depending on the intended meaning.

When should I use "materialize" vs "materialise"?

"Materialize" is the preferred spelling in American English, while "materialise" is more common in British English. Ensure consistency based on your target audience. However, in this case, regardless of dialect, the proper form is "could not be materialized".

What does "could not be materialized" mean?

It means that something was not able to become real or happen. It suggests an inability to bring something into existence or achieve a planned outcome. Consider simpler alternatives like "did not occur" or "was not possible".

Are there formal alternatives to "could not be materialized"?

Yes, you can use phrases like "could not be brought to fruition" or "failed to materialize" in formal writing. These options provide a more sophisticated and grammatically correct way to express the same idea.