demonstrate people

USAGE SUMMARY

"demonstrate people" is not a correct and usable phrase in written English.
"Demonstrate" means "to show or to prove something" and requires an object to be used properly. For example, you can say "The teacher demonstrated the experiment to the students."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

But as the Golden Globes are the latest to demonstrate, people don't watch awards shows only to reward artistry.

The New York Times

No surprise, then, that you will need to demonstrate people skills: effective communication, empathy and the ability to work with others is essential, whether you're working with colleagues or customers.

The Guardian

This can be used to demonstrate either compliance with a given fire safety code or explicitly demonstrate people onboard a train can evacuate before untenable conditions occur during a fire.

Procedia Engineering

As the failure of the black political leadership in Baltimore to protect black lives and the limited ability of black police chiefs to curb brutality in their own departments demonstrate, people of color can inherit or perpetuate structures of inequality.

The New York Times

As growing numbers of non-religious Americans are striving to demonstrate, people can be good, and do good, without being religious.

Huffington Post

Since our aim was to experimentally demonstrate people's capacity to control memory-related brain activity, we manipulated whether our volunteers should retrieve or suppress crime memories.

Biological Psychology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

6. Invest in mentoring programs with role models who can demonstrate people-helping aspects of careers in SET. 7. Add research components to undergraduate study to provide an early introduction to science applications, because many undergraduates have said that having the opportunity to do research early in their academic careers has encouraged them to remain in science.

Science Magazine

Through any medium, it's difficult to demonstrate peoples' interior work because those accomplishments will always be in solitude.

Huffington Post

"It demonstrates people's enthusiasm for the environment and their love for the river".

The New York Times

As the rapidly fading campaign finance scandal demonstrated, people will line up to pay $50,000 for a cup of coffee with Mr. Clinton.

The New York Times

However, as the case of Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed demonstrates, people being monitored can slip the net.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming to convey that something is being shown or proven to individuals, ensure that the correct preposition, "to", is used to link the verb "demonstrate" with the noun "people". For example, "demonstrate the theorem to the people" is grammatically sound.

Common error

A frequent mistake involves omitting the preposition "to" when using "demonstrate" with "people". Always include "to" to correctly indicate that something is being shown to someone. Instead of saying something grammatically incorrect such as "demonstrate people", use "demonstrate to people".

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "demonstrate" is that of a transitive verb, requiring a direct object. The phrase "demonstrate people" is grammatically incorrect because "people" cannot directly follow "demonstrate" without a preposition like "to". Ludwig AI confirms this assessment.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

46%

Science

33%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "demonstrate people" appears in various contexts, it is grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI indicates that "demonstrate" as a transitive verb requires a preposition like "to" when referring to people. The primary function is to show or prove something to individuals, but the improper structure undermines effective communication. For correct usage, employ alternatives like "demonstrate to people" or replace "demonstrate" with verbs like "show", ensuring appropriate grammatical structure. The most authoritative sources using the phrase are The New York Times, The Guardian, and Huffington Post, though it's crucial to note that these examples do not legitimize the ungrammatical construction.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

show people

Replaces "demonstrate" with the simpler verb "show", retaining the object "people".

demonstrate to people

Adds the preposition "to" to correct the grammatical structure, making "people" the indirect object.

prove to people

Uses the verb "prove" instead of "demonstrate" while maintaining the correct preposition "to".

illustrate to people

Substitutes "demonstrate" with "illustrate" and includes the preposition "to".

reveal to people

Replaces "demonstrate" with "reveal" while keeping "to people" for grammatical correctness.

demonstrate human capabilities

Replaces "people" with a concept that can be demonstrated.

display to people

Uses "display" instead of "demonstrate" and includes the preposition "to".

confirm to people

Swaps "demonstrate" with "confirm" and includes the preposition "to".

exhibit to people

Replaces "demonstrate" with "exhibit", keeping the preposition "to" for correct grammar.

make people see

Uses an alternative phrasing to convey the act of demonstrating something.

FAQs

How can I correctly use "demonstrate" when referring to people?

The correct usage involves including the preposition "to" after "demonstrate" when referring to people, as in "demonstrate to people". This ensures proper grammatical structure.

What is a more grammatically sound alternative to "demonstrate people"?

Instead of "demonstrate people", consider using alternatives like "show people" or "demonstrate to people" to maintain grammatical accuracy.

Is there a difference between "demonstrate people" and "demonstrate to people"?

Yes, "demonstrate people" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "demonstrate to people", which includes the preposition "to" to properly link the verb with the noun.

Can I use other verbs instead of "demonstrate" when referring to people?

Yes, you can use verbs like "prove to people", "illustrate to people", or "reveal to people", ensuring you maintain the correct preposition "to" for grammatical accuracy.