decide how well

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "decide how well" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when evaluating or assessing the quality or effectiveness of something. Example: "After reviewing the project outcomes, we need to decide how well our strategies performed."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

-- to decide how well he can still play.

The New York Times - Sports

PRO will have to decide how well Ricardo Salazar did his.

The Guardian - Sport

The transit agency says it understands that there will be disagreements about how to decide how well the system operates.

The New York Times

When you're done, you might even go so far as to decide how well these various adult writers do on the "college and career-ready" scale by judging their arguments against the Common Core Writing Standards for making logical arguments.

The New York Times

("Our aim was to create a show that presented some issues in the food system — the heavy reliance on fossil-fuels in large-scale farming, GMOs, the overuse of antibiotics — but to do that in a way that was entertaining," Chris Arnold, Chipotle's communications director, wrote in an e-mail. "Viewers will ultimately have to decide how well we struck that balance").

The New Yorker

But only he can decide how well he does in that first couple of games.

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

"I thought the organization had already decided how well I play center," he said sarcastically.

The New York Times - Sports

"It shouldn't be the lottery of birth that decides how well people do in this country.

The New Yorker

"We have some aspects in our game that we need to improve and how active we will be in the market in the summer will be decided how well we do now until the end of the season".

Independent

The pay of American public-school teachers is not based on any measure of performance (the NEA opposes merit pay); instead, it is determined by a rigid formula based on experience and years of schooling, factors that Mr Podgursky calls "massively unimportant" in deciding how well students do.The uniform pay scale invites what economists call adverse selection.

The Economist

This is incredibly important - it is what decides how well the car performs.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "decide how well" when you need to assess the quality, effectiveness, or success of something after a period of observation or implementation. It is often followed by specific criteria or standards for evaluation.

Common error

Avoid using "decide how well" when the evaluation is purely subjective and lacks objective criteria. Instead, consider using phrases that reflect personal opinions or feelings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "decide how well" functions as a verb phrase that introduces an evaluation or assessment. Ludwig confirms its usability in various contexts. It sets the stage for judging the quality, effectiveness, or performance of something based on specific criteria or observations, as shown by the examples provided.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

54%

Wiki

27%

Science

19%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "decide how well" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression, primarily functioning to introduce an evaluation or assessment of something based on established criteria. According to Ludwig, it is valid in written English. While versatile, it's most commonly found in news, media, and scientific contexts, reflecting its neutral tone. To avoid overuse, particularly in subjective settings, consider using alternatives like "evaluate the effectiveness" or "assess the quality". Its overall applicability is further supported by a good source quality and expert rating.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

assess how effectively

Focuses on the effectiveness of an action or process, emphasizing the degree to which it achieves the desired outcome.

determine how successfully

Highlights the level of success achieved, often implying a measurement against specific goals.

evaluate the quality of

Emphasizes judging the merit or excellence of something, often involving subjective criteria.

gauge the performance of

Focuses on measuring how an entity or system is functioning, often using quantifiable metrics.

measure the impact of

Concentrates on quantifying the effect or influence of something, often after an event or intervention.

ascertain the proficiency in

Emphasizes determining the level of skill or competence in a particular area.

judge the merit of

Highlights making a value judgment about the worth or quality of something, often based on established standards.

figure out how proficiently

Focuses on understanding the level of skill or expertise with which something is done.

estimate the effectiveness of

Highlights approximating the degree to which something is successful in producing a desired result.

quantify the success of

Emphasizes expressing the degree of achievement in numerical terms.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "decide how well" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, you can use phrases such as "evaluate the effectiveness", "assess the quality", or "determine the success" depending on the context.

When is it appropriate to use "decide how well" in a sentence?

It is appropriate to use "decide how well" when you are in the process of judging or assessing the quality, performance, or effectiveness of something against a specific set of criteria.

What's a less formal way to say "decide how well"?

In less formal situations, you might use phrases like "figure out how good", "see how well", or "check how well".

Is "decide how well" always interchangeable with "evaluate how well"?

While similar, "decide how well" implies a more definitive judgment or conclusion after an evaluation, whereas "evaluate how well" focuses more on the process of assessment.