maintaining

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "maintaining" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate that someone or something is sustaining, keeping, or preserving something. For example: "The library provides resources to help parents maintain a healthy relationship with their children."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Wiki

Encyclopedias

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The Army Corps of Engineers was put in charge of constructing new facilities and maintaining & expanding existing ones.

The New Yorker

The report discusses how to maintain America's benevolent hegemony -- or how to maintain and expand today's "rules-based international order," which implies maintaining and expanding the geo-financial order as much as the political one.

Huffington Post

This mimics symmetric cell division maintaining or expanding the stem cell pool.

Plosone

What's more, the variety of devices that must be fixed and maintained is expanding.

The New York Times - Tech

During dehydration, air replaced water, maintaining the expanded extracellular compartment.

Journal of Investigative Dermatology

"Gain, maintain and expand — that's the strategy," he said.

The New York Times

Capriles, who mostly attacked Maduro for not being Chávez, pledged to maintain and expand the misiones.

The Guardian - Opinion

They could not afford to maintain and expand service without mingling their resources.

The New York Times

Our sewers are old and overburdened, and there is never enough money to maintain or expand them.

The Guardian - Opinion

"This is another revenue stream that helps us maintain and expand what we already do during challenging economic times".

The New York Times

Additionally, practical operation shows that the system has good encapsulation and is easily maintained and expanded.

Petroleum Science

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "maintaining", ensure the context clearly defines what is being sustained or preserved to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid starting multiple consecutive sentences with "maintaining" as it can make writing monotonous. Use synonyms like "sustaining", "preserving", or rephrase to vary sentence structure.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "maintaining" is that of a gerund or present participle, often functioning as a verb in continuous tenses or as a noun. As Ludwig AI confirms, it indicates sustaining, keeping, or preserving something. Examples in Ludwig show it used in phrases like "maintaining & expanding existing ones".

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "maintaining" functions as a gerund or present participle to convey the idea of sustaining or preserving something. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and appropriate for use in written English. While its register is generally neutral, it commonly appears in diverse contexts, including News & Media, Science, and Formal & Business. To improve writing, avoid overuse and vary sentence structure with synonyms such as "sustaining" or "preserving". Example use cases range from maintaining infrastructure to relationships, illustrating its broad applicability.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

keeping up

Focuses on continuous effort to sustain a certain level or condition.

preserving

Emphasizes protecting something from damage or decay.

sustaining

Highlights the ability to support or uphold something over time.

conserving

Implies careful management to avoid depletion or waste.

upholding

Suggests actively defending or supporting a principle or law.

preserving

Focuses on protecting something from harm or change.

administering

Implies managing or governing something to ensure its proper function.

servicing

Highlights performing routine maintenance or repairs.

looking after

Suggests caring for something to ensure its well-being.

taking care of

Implies responsibility for the health and upkeep of something.

FAQs

How can I use "maintaining" in a sentence?

"Maintaining" can be used to describe the act of keeping something in good condition or preserving a certain state. For example, "The key to a long-lasting relationship is "maintaining open communication"".

What are some alternatives to "maintaining"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "preserving", "sustaining", "keeping up", or "upholding".

Which is correct, "maintaining" or "to maintain"?

Both "maintaining" and "to maintain" are correct, but they function differently. "Maintaining" is a gerund or present participle, while "to maintain" is an infinitive. The choice depends on the grammatical structure of the sentence.

What's the difference between "maintaining" and "repairing"?

"Maintaining" implies keeping something in its current state and good condition. "Repairing" suggests restoring something to its original state after damage or malfunction. Maintaining is preventative, while repairing is corrective.