make a sense

USAGE SUMMARY

"make a sense" is not a correct or commonly used phrase in written English.
It is not grammatically correct and does not have a clear meaning. A more appropriate phrase would be "make sense," which means to be logical or understandable. Here is an example: "The instructions for assembling the furniture did not make sense to me, so I had to ask for help."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

"If I was more authoritarian, I'd make a sense of humour mandatory".

The Guardian

No matter how many friends you make, a sense of fatalism can creep in: the period for making B.F.F.'s, the way you did in your teens or early 20s, is pretty much over.

The New York Times

The emphasis on "recognition and institutionalization of difference could undermine the conditions that make a sense of common identification and thus mutuality possible" (Carens 2000, 193).

SEP

As Joseph Carens puts it: "From this perspective, the danger of differentiated citizenship is that the emphasis [it] place[s] on the recognition and institutionalization of difference could undermine the conditions that make a sense of common identification and thus mutuality possible" (Carens 2000, 193).

SEP

The second step, interpretative analysis, tried to make a sense of what the data meant via connecting the findings to the existing literature and the researcher's past experience within the Iranian primary health care.

BMC Health Services Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Yet how swiftly he makes a sense of the scene.

The New York Times - Books

alles started to make a little sense.

The New York Times

Doesn't make a lot of sense.

The New York Times

Everything will make a little more sense".

Independent

This distinction makes a certain sense.

The Economist

Wealth in politics makes a certain sense.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the phrase "make sense" without the article "a". This ensures grammatical correctness and clarity in your writing.

Common error

The inclusion of the article "a" before "sense" is grammatically incorrect in this context. Stick to the established phrase "make sense" to maintain accuracy and professionalism.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "make a sense" is grammatically incorrect and functions as an attempt to express understanding or coherence. Ludwig AI confirms that the grammatically correct form is "make sense."

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "make a sense" appears in some contexts, it is grammatically incorrect. The correct and commonly used phrase is "make sense". Ludwig AI flags "make a sense" as an incorrect expression. When writing, it's best to avoid this phrasing and use the established form or consider alternative expressions like "be understandable" or "be logical" to convey your intended meaning clearly. The contexts in which it infrequently appears are News & Media and Science. Sticking to grammatically sound alternatives will enhance clarity and credibility.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

make sense

Omits the article "a", resulting in a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase with the same core meaning.

be coherent

Emphasizes the internal consistency and clarity of something.

be understandable

Replaces the phrase with a more formal and direct expression of comprehensibility.

be logical

Focuses on the rational aspect, suggesting something follows a coherent pattern.

add up

Uses an idiomatic expression to convey that something is consistent and coherent.

be reasonable

Highlights that something is fair, appropriate, or in accordance with reason.

hold water

Employs another idiom to mean that an argument or explanation is sound and defensible.

compute

Presents a technical slant, suggesting a calculation or evaluation yields a reasonable result.

click

Uses a colloquial term to mean that something suddenly becomes clear or understood.

register

Suggests that something is noticed or understood in a particular way.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say "make a sense"?

The correct phrase is "make sense", without the article "a". The inclusion of "a" is grammatically incorrect.

Is "make a sense" grammatically correct?

No, "make a sense" is grammatically incorrect. The correct and commonly used phrase is "make sense".

What does "make sense" mean?

The phrase "make sense" means to be logical, understandable, or coherent. It implies that something is reasonable or follows a clear pattern.

Can I use other phrases instead of "make sense"?

Yes, you can use alternatives like "be understandable", "be logical", or "add up" depending on the context.