find something to work

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "find something to work" is not correct in standard written English.
It may be intended to express the idea of searching for a task or project to engage with, but it lacks clarity and completeness. Example: "I need to find something to work on this weekend that will keep me busy."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Almost no other comedy anywhere else has made much of an impression this season, with NBC suffering an especially long drought in trying to find something to work with its hit comedies on Thursday night.

The New York Times - Arts

You may also want to find something to work on while your legs are tanning.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

And yet, even here, he finds something to work with — turning from his desk, admitting freely that he's a prick, but asking Patch whether terminally ill patients would prefer "a prick on their side, or some kindergarten teacher who's going to kiss their ass".

The New Yorker

And yet, even here, he finds something to work with turning from his desk, admitting freely that he's a prick, but asking Patch whether terminally ill patients would prefer "a prick on their side, or some kindergarten teacher who's going to kiss their ass".

The New Yorker

If you are always stuck in rush hour traffic after work anyway, try to find something to do near your work until the traffic dies down, rather than try to fight through it.

WikiHow

It is always a good idea to find something to put all your work in.

WikiHow

Find something to really excel at, or work on excelling in something you already love.

WikiHow

Almost as soon as Fiorillo and Tykoski approved the final manuscript describing Nanuqsaurus, they went back to the Alaskan rocks to find something new to work on — and stumbled on the other half of the new dinosaur's skull fragment.

HuffPost

"They're all trying to find something good to work on".

The New York Times

It's as if everyone who has ever seen her work finds something to love".

The New York Times - Arts

I often attempt to destroy a piece before I find something interesting to work with.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When you want to express the need to engage in an activity, use the phrase "find something to work on" instead of "find something to work". The addition of 'on' makes the sentence grammatically correct.

Common error

A frequent mistake is using "find something to work" without the preposition "on". This omission results in ungrammatical sentences. Always ensure you include "on" to correctly indicate that the work is performed on something.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "find something to work" functions as an infinitive phrase, acting as a verb complement. However, as Ludwig AI points out, the phrasing is not grammatically correct in standard English. It needs the preposition "on" to be complete: "find something to work on."

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

50%

Academia

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Science

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "find something to work" is generally considered grammatically incorrect without the addition of the preposition "on". Ludwig AI confirms this. While its intent is to express the desire to locate a task or project, the omission of "on" makes it non-standard. The phrase appears infrequently, mainly in News & Media and Wiki contexts. To ensure grammatical correctness, use "find something to work on" instead. Consider alternatives such as "look for a project to do" or "seek a task to undertake" for greater clarity and formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

find something to work on

Adds the preposition "on" for grammatical correctness, specifying that the work is to be done on something.

look for a project to do

Replaces "find" with "look for" and rephrases "something to work" with "a project to do" for improved clarity.

seek a task to undertake

Uses more formal vocabulary like "seek" and "undertake", changing the tone slightly.

search for an activity to pursue

Replaces "work" with "activity" and "do" with "pursue", offering a broader scope.

identify a job to tackle

Uses "identify" and replaces "work" with "job", suggesting a more specific and defined task.

discover a challenge to address

Emphasizes the challenging aspect of the task by using "challenge" instead of "work".

locate an assignment to complete

Replaces "find" with "locate" and "work" with "assignment", indicating a formal task.

procure a position to fill

Uses more formal and business-oriented language, suggesting finding a role or opening.

source a responsibility to manage

Suggests finding a duty that requires management and oversight.

secure an opportunity to contribute

Focuses on the aspect of making a contribution through the task.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say "find something to work"?

The grammatically correct way is to say "find something to work on". Adding the preposition "on" clarifies that you are looking for something to apply your effort to.

Is "find something to work" grammatically correct?

No, "find something to work" is not grammatically correct. The proper phrasing is "find something to work on", which includes the preposition "on".

What can I say instead of "find something to work"?

Alternatives include "look for a project to do", "seek a task to undertake", or "identify a job to tackle", depending on the specific context.

How can I use "find something to work on" in a sentence?

You can use it like this: "I need to find something to work on this weekend to keep myself busy", or "After finishing my main project, I'll find something to work on as a side project".