driving of

USAGE SUMMARY

'driving of' is not a correct phrase in written English.
It sounds awkward and incomplete. A more correct and commonly used phrase would be 'driving off' or 'driving away.' Example: The police officer stopped the car and observed the driver's erratic behavior, suspecting that he was driving under the influence of alcohol. The officer instructed the driver to step out of the car and perform a field sobriety test, but the driver refused and began driving away.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

The jury decided the two had been unlawfully killed by a combination of the driving of their chauffeur, Henri Paul, and the driving of following vehicles.

The Guardian

The charge: reckless driving of a civil service once renowned as a sleekly purring Rolls-Royce.

The Economist

And a lot of driving of those roads for Ms. Strand when she researched it.

The New York Times

While rail provides speed and comfort between main cities, driving of course offers flexibility.

The New York Times

"The actual driving of a tractor — I didn't miss that at all," Abell said.

The New Yorker

For example, I assume that there is no campaign in France to ban the driving of dangerous sports cars.

The New York Times

LIKE many parents, Richard Mueller was concerned about the driving of his 17-year-old daughter, Becky.

The New York Times

It is of the greatest importance that people realise what a serious offence dangerous driving of this type is".

The Guardian

"The problem of women driving, of course, is not political," she said, as the car bumped along a rural road.

The New Yorker

While that is something any reasonable soul would uphold, the desire for information about the health of arguably the greatest racing driving of them all is surely understandable.

Independent

Civil engineers have always played an important part in mining for coal and metals; the driving of tunnels is a task common to many branches of civil engineering.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing the activity of controlling a vehicle, use more common and less verbose phrases like "driving" or "vehicle operation".

Common error

Avoid using "driving of" in formal writing. It introduces unnecessary words. Instead, opt for direct and clearer phrasing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "driving of" functions as a noun phrase, often used to describe the activity or action of driving something, such as a car or a process. However, as Ludwig AI points out, it's not always the most grammatically elegant choice.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

37%

Science

44%

Encyclopedias

5%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "driving of" is frequently used across various domains, including news, science, and encyclopedias. However, Ludwig AI highlights that it's often grammatically awkward and less clear than simpler alternatives like "driving" or "operating". While its communicative purpose is to describe the action of operating something, its usage can sometimes lead to wordiness. As such, opting for more direct phrasing is generally advisable to ensure clarity and grammatical correctness. The most authoritative sources seem to prefer less verbose structures too.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

driving

Simplifies the phrase, removing the preposition and maintaining the core action.

the act of driving

Adds clarity by explicitly stating "driving" is an action.

operating

Substitutes "driving" with a synonym that emphasizes the act of controlling a vehicle or machine.

the practice of driving

Emphasizes the repeated or habitual nature of the action.

controlling

Focuses on the act of being in charge and directing movement.

operating a vehicle

Specifies the object being driven, providing context.

piloting

Replaces "driving" with a term specific to aircraft or boats, implying skillful maneuvering.

control of a vehicle

Shifts the focus to the control exerted during the driving process.

handling

Suggests managing or controlling something, fitting contexts beyond just vehicles.

maneuvering

Emphasizes skillful or careful movement, often in tight spaces.

FAQs

How can I use "driving of" in a sentence correctly?

While "driving of" appears in various contexts, it's often more grammatically sound to use simpler alternatives. Consider rephrasing your sentence to use just "driving" or another related term.

What can I say instead of "driving of"?

You can often replace "driving of" with "driving", "operating", or another contextually appropriate term like "handling" or "control".

Which is correct, "driving of" or "driving"?

"Driving" is generally preferred over "driving of" because it is more concise and grammatically correct. The addition of "of" often creates an awkward phrasing that can be easily avoided.

Is "driving of" grammatically incorrect?

While not always strictly incorrect, "driving of" is often considered awkward and less clear than using the verb "driving" directly. It's better to use simpler, more direct phrasing.