favour over

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'favour over' is not a phrase used in standard written English. You might use the phrase 'favour one over' or 'favor one over' instead. For example, "He always seems to favor his sister over his brother when it comes to making decisions."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

35 human-written examples

The figures highlight how marriage has fallen out of favour over the decades.

Independent

There are still a number of factors in Tesco's favour over the long term.

The Telegraph

However, I think Stuart has advantages that should count strongly in his favour over the coming months.

Independent

Meanwhile India's government said it would not appeal a ruling in Vodafone's favour over a tax dispute.

The Guardian - Business

Both Mr Bush and Mr Blair may be losing favour over Iraq at home, but America and Britain are likely to stay the course abroad.

The Economist

I have been one of the more supportive voices in England's favour over the last few weeks but I never saw them beating New Zealand.

Independent

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

25 human-written examples

Further analysis of our results (not shown) shows that this appears to be due to the fact that when a random tree is used, the model selection procedure tends to generally favour over-parameterised models which is consistent with the findings of a previous study on nucleotide sequences [ 37].

BMC Evolutionary Biology

Species and stocks that leave natal streams earlier may be favoured over later-migrating fish.

Plosone

Interestingly, Col/EBF heterodimer formation was favoured over homodimer formation (Fig. 3B,C and data not shown).

BMC Evolutionary Biology

Dramas tend to be favoured over comedies.

Independent

Minority Tutsis are favoured over majority Hutus.

The Guardian - Film

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When indicating a preference, use the structure "favour one over another" or "favor one over another" for clarity and grammatical correctness.

Common error

Avoid using the phrase "favour over" on its own. It's grammatically incomplete. Instead, specify what you are favouring one thing over another.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "favour over" functions as a prepositional phrase, indicating a comparison and preference. While it is used in various contexts, as seen in Ludwig's examples, it's typically part of a larger construction like "favour one option over another."

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

42%

Science

33%

Encyclopedias

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "favour over" appears in numerous sources, it is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. Ludwig AI suggests it might be more appropriate to use constructions like "favour one over another" or alternative phrases such as "prefer one over another" or "prioritize one thing over another". The phrase's purpose is to indicate a preference, but care should be taken to ensure grammatical correctness. While relatively common, especially in news and scientific contexts, using more precise alternatives can enhance clarity and formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

prioritize one thing over another

This alternative emphasizes the act of ranking things in order of importance.

prefer one over another

This alternative is a more explicit and grammatically sound way to express preference.

have a preference for

This alternative uses a noun phrase to express the state of preferring.

choose in preference to

This alternative highlights the act of choosing something instead of something else.

view as superior to

This emphasizes a judgment of higher quality or status.

value more highly than

This suggests a difference in the perceived worth of two things.

find more appealing than

This highlights the subjective attractiveness of one thing over another.

lean towards

This suggests a tendency to prefer something without a definitive choice.

rather have

This alternative uses a more direct, informal way of expressing preference.

place emphasis on

This focuses on giving more importance or weight to something.

FAQs

How can I properly use the idea of "favour over" in a sentence?

To correctly express the idea of preferring one thing over another, use the construction "favour one thing over another thing" or consider alternative phrases like "prefer one over another".

What are some alternatives to "favour over" that are grammatically sound?

Instead of "favour over", you can use phrases such as "prioritize one thing over another", "have a preference for", or "lean towards" depending on the specific context.

Which is correct, "favour over" or "favour one over another"?

"Favour over" is grammatically incomplete. The correct and more standard construction is "favour one over another" or alternatives like "choose in preference to".

What's the difference between "favour over" and "prefer"?

"Favour over" is not grammatically correct on its own. "Prefer" is a verb that directly expresses liking one thing more than another. You can use "prefer" or rephrase "favour over" with something like "have a preference for".