make serious progress

USAGE SUMMARY

"make serious progress" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
It means to make significant or substantial progress towards achieving a goal or completing a task. Example: With the help of her mentor, Jane was able to make serious progress on her research project and eventually published her findings in a prestigious journal.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

26 human-written examples

If the United States wishes to curtail nuclear proliferation, it must make serious progress toward nuclear disarmament.

The Guardian - Opinion

Policy makers who want to reverse that need to address this currency issue if we are to make serious progress on increasing net exports.

The New York Times

With agreement reached yesterday on minimum salary and financing of the benefit plan, the two sides continued to make serious progress toward an overall collective bargaining agreement.

The New York Times - Sports

The one English team to make serious progress in the European Cup, Manchester United, had been destroyed in the Munich air crash two years earlier.

The Guardian - Sport

"We have embarked on a clear path to digital – to DAB – and we need to make serious progress and do it quickly.

The Guardian

In return for a ceasefire, he would probably demand to be allowed to travel in triumph to the Arab summit in Beirut later this month.To make serious progress on peace, however, something longer than a lull is required.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

34 human-written examples

Mr. Draghi had suggested that more action could follow if leaders made serious progress.

The New York Times

Previous, unsuccessful rounds of talks mainly concentrated on achieving a ceasefire, rather than making serious progress on the difficult questions of Aceh's final status.

The Economist

Though scientists have made serious progress in AI, the advances are almost entirely in what researchers call narrow AI: the creation of smart algorithms for dedicated tasks.

The Guardian

The Egyptians say that Israel would best protect itself by making serious progress toward peace with the Palestinians, rather than by accelerating the cycle of violence.

The New York Times

"If left to themselves, given the personal animosities on both sides, it is hard to imagine Indian and Pakistani leaders getting together and making serious progress," said George Perkovich, a South Asia expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "make serious progress", ensure the context clearly indicates the area in which progress is being made. Be specific to enhance clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "make serious progress" without specifying the area of improvement. Vague statements diminish the impact and leave the reader questioning the actual advancement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "make serious progress" functions as a verbal phrase, indicating the act of achieving considerable advancement. Ludwig provides examples showing it used in contexts requiring significant development or improvement, aligning with its role in describing substantial forward movement.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Science

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "make serious progress" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase that signifies achieving substantial advancement or improvement. Ludwig AI confirms this with various examples across news, science, and other domains. The phrase is best used when you want to emphasize the degree of progress, and it's important to specify the area in which progress is being made for clarity. Consider alternatives like "gain substantial ground" or "move forward significantly" for variety. Remember to avoid vagueness for maximum impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

achieve significant advancement

Replaces "make" with "achieve" and "progress" with "advancement", emphasizing the accomplishment.

gain substantial ground

Uses a more metaphorical expression, replacing "progress" with "ground" to indicate forward movement.

move forward significantly

Focuses on the act of moving forward, highlighting the degree of advancement.

advance considerably

A more concise alternative, replacing "make progress" with a single verb phrase.

improve markedly

Shifts the focus to improvement, suggesting a noticeable positive change.

make headway

Replaces "serious progress" with the idiom "headway", indicating forward movement despite challenges.

forge ahead rapidly

Emphasizes speed and determination in making progress.

accelerate development

Highlights the speeding up of a process or development.

push forward decisively

Suggests a strong and determined effort to move forward.

realize tangible gains

Focuses on achieving concrete and measurable improvements.

FAQs

How can I use "make serious progress" in a sentence?

You can use "make serious progress" to describe significant advancement towards a goal, such as: "The team needs to "make serious progress" on the project to meet the deadline."

What can I say instead of "make serious progress"?

You can use alternatives like "achieve significant advancement", "gain substantial ground", or "move forward significantly" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "made serious progress"?

Yes, "made serious progress" is the past tense form of ""make serious progress"" and is grammatically correct. For example: "The researchers "made serious progress" in understanding the disease."

What's the difference between "make progress" and "make serious progress"?

"Make progress" indicates any advancement, while ""make serious progress"" emphasizes that the advancement is significant or substantial.