leaving a chance

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "leaving a chance" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the possibility of something happening or being allowed to happen. Example: "By not making a decision now, you are leaving a chance for others to take the opportunity."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

The text has since been shortened and made less controversial, leaving a chance that America might rejoin.

The Economist

Wary of leaving a chance, he plays it harder than necessary, wobbling the ball in the jaws, but getting the white safe.

The Guardian - Sport

There are still 15,000 samples to go, he noted, and researchers couldn't use the most sensitive techniques on archived tissue, leaving a chance of undetected prions.

Science Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

A cheap interpretation of that would be to say that you must always leave a chance for a sequel".

The New York Times - Books

It does, however, leave a chance of unwanted biases in the sample set.

Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry

Two sigma, leaving a 2.5 percent chance of being wrong, is just high enough to jangle the nerves, however, and all of ours have been jangled enough.

The New York Times - Science

Try leaving a comment; chances are the submit button is just an image and isn't attached to anything except maybe a popup ad.

WikiHow

We excluded all sequences that presented these types of artefacts leading to approximately 13 clones/individual showing redundancy, leaving an 85% chance of visualizing all alleles/individual.

Plosone

If it waits until March, it is leaving a lot to chance.

The New Yorker

Mickelson powers his second to the front of the green, leaving half a chance for birdie.

The Guardian - Sport

It is a classic club management challenge – stop the opposition's best player, while also leaving yourself a chance of winning – that shines an interesting light on Van Gaal.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "leaving a chance" when you want to emphasize that a decision or action (or lack thereof) keeps a possibility open, even if unintentionally. For example, "By not setting a firm deadline, we are "leaving a chance" for the project to be delayed."

Common error

Avoid using "leaving a chance" when active creation of an opportunity is intended. "Leaving" implies passivity; use phrases like "creating an opportunity" if active involvement is desired.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "leaving a chance" functions primarily as a verb phrase acting as a clause element (often as part of a larger statement), indicating the act of allowing a possibility to remain open or exist. Ludwig examples show how it modifies situations or decisions.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

30%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "leaving a chance" is a grammatically correct and understandable expression signifying the act of allowing a possibility to remain open. Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is acceptable for use. While common across various contexts like news and science, its frequency is relatively uncommon. It's essential to consider the nuance of passivity when using this phrase, ensuring it aligns with the intended meaning. For more formal or active scenarios, alternatives like "creating an opportunity" might be more fitting.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

allowing for the possibility

Similar to "allowing an opportunity", but focuses specifically on the allowance of a potential event or outcome.

allowing an opportunity

Focuses on the act of permitting an opportunity to exist, differing slightly from the nuance of "leaving" something open.

creating an opening

Emphasizes the active creation of a possibility rather than passively leaving it.

providing a possibility

Highlights the act of making something possible, shifting the focus from chance to deliberate action.

affording an opportunity

Emphasizes providing an opportunity, shifting the focus from chance to deliberate action.

creating scope for

Highlights the act of expanding opportunity for something, shifting the focus from chance to deliberate action.

opening the door for

Uses a metaphorical expression to suggest creating an opportunity or possibility.

preserving the option

Focuses on maintaining an available choice or course of action.

making room for

Suggests creating space or conditions for something to happen.

providing leeway

Emphasizes granting some freedom or flexibility, shifting the focus from chance to deliberate action.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "leaving a chance"?

Alternatives include "allowing an opportunity", "creating an opening", or "providing a possibility" depending on the specific context.

Is "leaving a chance" formal or informal?

The phrase "leaving a chance" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts, although more formal situations might benefit from alternatives like "affording an opportunity".

What does "leaving a chance" imply?

It implies that an action or inaction is resulting in the preservation of a potential outcome, whether intentional or unintentional. It suggests a degree of passivity, in contrast to actively creating an opportunity.

How is "leaving a chance" different from "giving a chance"?

"Leaving a chance" suggests that a possibility remains open due to a lack of decisive action, while "giving a chance" implies actively providing an opportunity to someone or something.