delay to finish

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "delay to finish" is not correct in standard written English.
It may be intended to express a postponement in completing a task, but it lacks clarity and proper structure. Example: "We are experiencing a delay to finish the project due to unforeseen circumstances."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

He said that Transcontinental originally wanted to install the entire project by the end of this year, but later asked for the four-year delay to finish its biggest piece.

The New York Times

— ZACH SCHONBRUN While we wait for this tarp-less rain delay to finish at the announced 8 45 p.m. start time, I'll throw out a few questions to get the conversation going: – Will the Jets score more than 7 points & 8722 wait, wrong blog.

The New York Times

The greater the delay to finish operation of all readers in one round (or sequence), the greater the interoperation interval for each reader.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

The first is the ability to resist distractions or delay gratification to finish a job: to finish the book report before turning on the television.

The New York Times - Health

At any time victims may withdraw from the process for fear of giving evidence in court, fear that the process will be too distressing, fear of being disbelieved or judged, or as a result of delays from start to finish".

The Guardian

Ashley points out that the lawsuit-related delay gave him time to finish out the semester, and then he transferred to the University of Michigan.

Huffington Post

The settlement agreement says nothing about whether athletes will be able to delay hearings in order to finish athletic seasons and transfer, as the original lawsuit alleged the school was allowing. .

Huffington Post

At that stage, he aimed to table a motion calling for the bid for BSkyB to be delayed to allow police to finish their investigation into alleged criminality at News International.

The Guardian

For instance, deliveries are often delayed, leaving builders scrambling to finish the stages once materials had finally arrived.

Vice

The game was delayed as the workers rushed to finish the backbreaking job.

The New York Times

A few days of no production at factories might mean a bout of overtime when things return to normal: German construction output may turn out to have boomed in January because people raced to finish projects delayed by snow.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to postponing completion, opt for clearer alternatives like "delay in completion" or "delay in finishing" to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using the phrase "delay to finish" in formal writing. It's better to say "delay in finishing" or "delay in completion" to ensure clarity and grammatical accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "delay to finish" functions as a connector indicating purpose. However, it is not grammatically sound and requires adjustment for proper use in English. Ludwig AI indicates that it's better to use "delay in finishing" or "delay in completion".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "delay to finish" is grammatically incorrect and not recommended for use in standard English writing. Ludwig AI suggests that using alternatives like "delay in finishing" or "delay in completion" provides clarity and grammatical accuracy. Although the phrase appears across various contexts, including News & Media, Science, and Formal & Business, its frequency is rare. To ensure clear and correct communication, it is advisable to opt for grammatically sound alternatives. The expert rating reflects the grammatical issues and inconsistent usage, emphasizing the need for improvement in phrase construction.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

push back the completion schedule

Employs a common idiom to describe the action of delaying the schedule for finishing something.

postpone the finishing date

Substitutes "delay" with "postpone" and uses "finishing date" for a clearer reference to the deadline.

reschedule the finish

Focuses on the act of changing the schedule or timeline for the final step in the process.

extend the completion timeline

Replaces "delay" with a more formal term, focusing on the act of lengthening the period required.

lengthen the time to finalize

Directly addresses increasing the duration needed to reach the final stage of completion.

prolong the process of finishing

Emphasizes the act of extending the entire finishing process, rather than just a delay.

hold off on finishing

Indicates a temporary suspension of the finishing activities, suggesting a planned pause.

defer the project's finalization

Uses more formal vocabulary like "defer" and "finalization", making it suitable for professional contexts.

put off the final touches

Refers to postponing the last steps needed for completion, implying attention to detail.

slow down the pace of completion

Highlights a decrease in the speed at which the task is being finished, implying a deliberate action.

FAQs

What is a more grammatically correct way to say "delay to finish"?

Instead of "delay to finish", use phrases like "delay in finishing" or "delay in completion" for better clarity and grammatical accuracy.

How can I rephrase "delay to finish" in a formal context?

In formal contexts, replace "delay to finish" with options such as "postponement of completion" or "extension of the deadline" to maintain a professional tone.

What's a simple alternative to "delay to finish"?

For simpler alternatives, consider using phrases like "delayed completion" or "postponed finish".

Is "delay to finish" grammatically correct?

The phrase "delay to finish" is not grammatically correct in standard written English. It's preferable to use "delay in finishing" or "delay in completion".