fail to perform

USAGE SUMMARY

"fail to perform" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to someone or something not being able to do something. Example sentence: It was unfortunate that the team failed to perform up to their usual standard.

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Conventional approaches for speech/music discrimination can provide reasonable performance with regular music signals, but often fail to perform satisfactorily with singing segments.

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

A: When people focus on a specific stretch goal, and fail to perform other valued activities that are needed by the organization, goals are failing.

Forbes

However, LLE and Isomap fail to perform well on facial expression recognition tasks due to their unsupervised ways of failing to extract the discriminant information.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Like QWOP, you'll frequently fail to perform basic tasks.

The Guardian - Tech

In order to fail to perform a duty, the defendant had to know about this duty.

The Washington Post

CEOs are also kicked out if they fail to perform well.

The Economist

Buildings regularly fail to perform at optimum levels and often do not meet design predictions.

Energy and Buildings

But many athletes worry about overtraining every time they fail to perform as well as they think they should.

The New York Times - Health

Men who fail to perform are now suffering from 'erectile dysfunction', curable with a little blue pill.

The Guardian

Theoretically, therefore, Oxfam, Christian Aid or anyone else could be declined or thrown out if they fail to perform effectively.

The Guardian

They are very easily hoodwinked into buying expensive, poorly designed products that fail to perform as promised.

The Washington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "fail to perform", ensure that the context clearly indicates what the subject is failing to do. Avoid ambiguity by specifying the task, duty, or expectation that is not being met.

Common error

While grammatically correct, "fail to perform" can sometimes sound overly formal. In less formal contexts, consider using more natural alternatives like "not succeed" or "fall short" to maintain a better tone.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "fail to perform" is to act as a verb phrase indicating an inability or omission in carrying out an action. The examples provided by Ludwig demonstrate its usage across various contexts, affirming its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

17%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "fail to perform" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression that indicates a lack of success or inability to carry out a task. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is appropriate for use in written English. The phrase appears across various contexts, including science, news, and formal business settings. While versatile, it's important to consider the tone; in less formal situations, alternatives like "fall short" or "not succeed" may be more suitable. To ensure clarity, always specify what is not being performed. The phrase serves to express a deviation from expectation, standard or duty.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

not succeed

A straightforward way of expressing a lack of success.

be unsuccessful

Similar to "not succeed" but slightly more formal.

fall short

Implies a failure to reach a desired standard or expectation.

underperform

Specifically refers to performing below expectations or standards.

miss the mark

Indicates a failure to achieve the intended goal or result.

not deliver

Emphasizes the failure to provide something expected or promised.

prove inadequate

Suggests that something or someone did not meet the required needs or standards.

prove incapable

Highlights the inability to do something.

flounder

Suggests struggling and failing to make progress.

be deficient

Indicates a lack of necessary qualities or abilities.

FAQs

What does "fail to perform" mean?

The phrase "fail to perform" means to not succeed in doing something, to not carry out a task or duty, or to not function as expected.

How can I use "fail to perform" in a sentence?

You can use "fail to perform" in a sentence like this: "The equipment "failed to perform" as expected during the test."

What are some alternatives to "fail to perform"?

Some alternatives to "fail to perform" include "fall short", "not succeed", or "underperform", depending on the context.

Is it better to use "fail to perform" or "failed to perform"?

The choice between "fail to perform" and "failed to perform" depends on the tense of your sentence. Use "fail to perform" in the present or future tense, and "failed to perform" in the past tense.