elaborated a plan

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "elaborated a plan" is not correct in standard English; the correct form is "elaborated on a plan." You can use it when discussing the details or specifics of a plan that has been developed or explained further.
Example: "During the meeting, she elaborated on a plan to improve our marketing strategy."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Pointing to documents obtained by the federal intelligence service, officials in La Paz last week said a group from the lowland city of Santa Cruz had elaborated a plan to sabotage the Constitution assembly, stoke regional tension and initiate protests to topple Mr. Morales.

The New York Times

By the time of his retirement in 1905, Schlieffen had elaborated a plan for a great wheeling movement of the right (northern) wing of the German armies not only through central Belgium but also, in order to bypass the Belgian fortresses of Liège and Namur in the Meuse valley, through the southernmost part of the Netherlands.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

All participating women were aware of the BEPP card and had used one to elaborate a plan for birth and complications.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

We understand that a large part of the results obtained may constitute part of the analysis of the situation to thereby elaborate a plan of improvement in the team attending important members of these groups.

BMC Family Practice

The U.S. EPA has elaborated a strategic plan for evaluating the toxicity of chemicals, which outlines a pragmatic stepwise approach to the transition from in vivo to in vitro testing strategies (U.S. EPA 2009).

Environmental Health Perspectives

For example, data on the number of districts that have elaborated an action plan on disability is not routinely collected in information services primarily set-up to measure health service and human resource performance.

Health Research Policy and Systems

In this way, the main objective of the ITA and what we try to demonstrate in this work, is the possibility to elaborate a therapeutic plan taking into account all the theoretical premises agreed by clinical consensus.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

In the coming period NNC needs to elaborate a thorough fundraising plan.

Unicef

The kit includes a guide for elaborating a communal development plan, a procedures manual, training bag, the SIC software and operations guide.

Unicef

The ophthalmology department has at the moment only one care process elaborated as care pathway and is planning to elaborate a second care pathway.

BMC Health Services Research

Smith also elaborated on his plan for a millennial kingdom.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When you intend to specify a plan in detail, use the phrase "elaborated on a plan". For instance, "The CEO elaborated on a plan to restructure the company during the annual meeting."

Common error

Avoid saying "elaborated a plan". It's more grammatically sound to use "elaborated on a plan" or alternative phrases like "developed a plan" or "detailed a plan" to ensure clarity and correctness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "elaborated a plan" functions as a verb phrase where "elaborated" acts as the verb, attempting to describe the action performed on the noun phrase "a plan". However, this construction is considered grammatically incorrect because the verb "elaborate" typically requires the preposition "on" when followed by a noun like "plan", as supported by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

30%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

3%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "elaborated a plan" appears in various sources, Ludwig identifies it as grammatically incorrect. The proper usage is "elaborated on a plan". The intended meaning is to convey that someone has developed or detailed a specific plan, but the grammatical error detracts from its effectiveness, especially in formal contexts. Therefore, it's advisable to use alternatives such as "developed a plan" or "detailed a plan".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

developed a plan

Focuses on the creation and unfolding of a plan.

devised a plan

Implies ingenuity and inventiveness in creating a plan.

formulated a plan

Highlights the systematic and precise nature of plan creation.

detailed a plan

Emphasizes providing specific information about the plan.

drafted a plan

Focuses on the initial creation of a plan, often implying it's a work in progress.

prepared a plan

Suggests readiness and anticipation in creating the plan.

drew up a plan

Focuses on the act of creating a plan, often in a visual or schematic manner.

laid out a plan

Implies a clear and structured presentation of the plan.

sketched out a plan

Suggests a preliminary or rough version of a plan.

conceived a plan

Emphasizes the initial idea or concept behind the plan.

FAQs

Is it grammatically correct to say "elaborated a plan"?

The phrase "elaborated a plan" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. The correct form is "elaborated on a plan". It's safer to use alternatives like "developed a plan" or "detailed a plan".

What's the difference between "elaborated a plan" and "elaborated on a plan"?

"Elaborated a plan" is grammatically incorrect. "Elaborated on a plan" is the correct form, indicating that you've provided more details or expanded upon an existing plan. You can also consider using "developed a plan" or "detailed a plan".

How can I use "elaborated on a plan" in a sentence?

You can use "elaborated on a plan" to indicate the process of providing more details about a specific plan. For example, "During the presentation, she elaborated on a plan to improve customer satisfaction." You may also consider rephrasing this as "developed a plan".

What can I say instead of "elaborated a plan"?

Since "elaborated a plan" is not grammatically correct, you should consider alternatives such as "developed a plan", "detailed a plan", or "formulated a plan" depending on the specific context.