do some fence

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "do some fence" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be an attempt to refer to "do some fencing," which is a sport involving sword fighting, or it could be a misinterpretation of a different phrase. Example: "After school, I plan to do some fencing practice at the local club."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Mr. Gephardt has a deep command of the issues and is popular with many constituencies like labor, where Mr. Gore still has to do some fence mending.

The New York Times

This week it was the Europeans' turn to do some fence mending.Javier Solana, the EU's high representative for foreign policy, was in Washington, DC, to inaugurate a new "strategic dialogue" on Asia.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Mr. Tompkins said Mr. Graham would "have to do some fence-mending" with social conservatives.

The New York Times

But the visit was also intended to do some fence-mending of his own: as a young congressman from a largely rural Wisconsin district, Mr. Ryan, now Mitt Romney's 42-year-old vice-presidential running mate, supported ending the trade embargo with Cuba, an unpopular sentiment among many Republicans and Cuban exiles in this part of Florida, one of the most crucial swing states in the general election.

The New York Times

Irmscher, however, claims that in effect it was Agassiz's "surprisingly emotional, scattershot opposition" to developmentalism that prompted influential scientists, who might otherwise have done some fence sitting, to promote Darwinism.

The New York Times - Books

The Vikings will have to do some serious fence mending with him since they at first had decided that George was not in their plans.

The New York Times - Sports

The secretary of education needs either to do some fast fence-mending or step down.

The New York Times

Their absence will give me a chance to do some serious re-fencing and takedown of dead trees.

The New York Times

"Look, Bush still needs to do some mending of fences with conservatives on the overspending and on the interference in campaigns like the Toomey-Specter race," he said.

The New York Times

"We have taken some birch out of [the fences] and done some reshaping.

The Guardian - Sport

Only fools don't fence.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to the activity of fencing (the sport), use "do some fencing" instead of "do some fence". For example, "I plan to "do some fencing" this weekend" is correct.

Common error

Avoid using "fence" as a noun when the context requires a verb. "Fencing" is the correct term for the activity. For instance, instead of saying "I want to do some fence", say "I want to "do some fencing"".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "do some fence" is typically intended to function as a verb phrase, suggesting an action related to a fence. However, due to grammatical issues, it doesn't effectively convey a clear action, unlike ""do some fencing"". As noted by Ludwig AI, the phrase is not correct.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Wiki

33%

Science

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "do some fence" is grammatically incorrect and lacks a clear, established meaning in standard English. While there are limited instances of the phrase appearing, they typically represent misinterpretations or non-standard usages. Ludwig AI confirms this assessment. Instead, it's recommended to use correct alternatives such as ""do some fencing"" (for the sport) or "repair the fence" (for fence maintenance). The analysis indicates the phrase is rare and does not have a defined register, making it unsuitable for formal or professional communication. Instead of "do some fence", consider using more precise and grammatically correct phrases.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

do some fencing

Adding 'ing' transforms the noun 'fence' into a verb, referring to the sport or activity.

mend fences

Focuses on repairing relationships or goodwill after a disagreement.

repair the fence

Directly implies fixing a physical barrier.

build a fence

Emphasizes the construction or creation of a fence.

maintain the fence

Highlights the ongoing upkeep of a fence.

install a fence

Refers to the process of putting up a new fence.

construct fencing

Uses a more formal term for building a fence.

put up a fence

A more casual way of saying 'install a fence'.

work on the fence

Suggests general labor or effort related to a fence.

check the fence

Implies inspecting a fence for damage or weaknesses.

FAQs

What is the correct way to refer to the sport involving swords?

The correct term for the sport is "fencing". Therefore, you should say ""do some fencing"" instead of "do some fence".

Can "do some fence" ever be correct?

The phrase "do some fence" is generally considered incorrect in standard English. A more appropriate phrase would be something like "repair the fence" or, if referring to the sport, ""do some fencing"".

What can I say instead of "do some fence" if I mean repairing a fence?

If you intend to convey repairing or maintaining a fence, you can use phrases such as "repair the fence", "mend the fence", or "fix the fence".

Is there a difference between "do some fence" and "do some fencing"?

Yes, there is a significant difference. "Do some fencing" refers to participating in the sport of fencing. "Do some fence" is not a standard English phrase and is considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI confirms this assessment.