making it impossible for

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "making it impossible for" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a situation where something prevents an action or outcome from occurring. Example: "The heavy rain was making it impossible for the event organizers to set up the outdoor stage."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"The dogs were making it impossible for me to communicate".

The Guardian

Government budgets should not be balanced by making it impossible for working parents to keep working.

The New York Times

And the fish would all be female and sterile, making it impossible for them to mate.

The New York Times

But making it impossible for minority buyers to achieve homeownership would add insult to injury.

The New York Times

But the "sitter" fish stayed back, making it impossible for Professor Wilson to capture them.

The New York Times

Making it impossible for automotive dealers to stay in business would have implications nationwide.

The Washington Post

But they are making it impossible for him to run the state effectively.

The New York Times

Wages have fallen way behind living costs, making it impossible for people to keep a home.

The Guardian

Everyone's experience of mental illness is unique, making it impossible for any single character to encapsulate.

The Guardian - Opinion

Mujahideen paranoia was making it impossible for Western journalists to work in Falluja.

The New Yorker

Until 1998, the rouble was overvalued, making it impossible for domestic producers to compete with imports.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "making it impossible for" to clearly state the factor that prevents a specific action or outcome, ensuring your writing is direct and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

While grammatically correct, consistently using "making it impossible for" can make your writing sound overly formal. Vary your phrasing with alternatives like "preventing", "blocking", or other synonyms to match the tone of your communication.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "making it impossible for" functions as a gerund phrase that modifies a noun or pronoun. It indicates a condition or action that effectively prevents another action from occurring, emphasizing the restrictive nature of the preventing factor. Ludwig AI states it is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

79%

Science

14%

Formal & Business

7%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "making it impossible for" is a grammatically correct and frequently used construction to emphasize a condition or action that serves as a complete barrier, according to Ludwig. It is especially prevalent in News & Media, Science and Formal & Business contexts. While highly functional, it's important to consider the tone and register of your writing; simpler alternatives like "preventing" might be more appropriate for informal communications. By understanding its function, purpose, and potential alternatives, you can effectively use the phrase to convey clear and impactful messages.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

making it unachievable for

Stresses the result of an action making a goal unattainable.

precluding the possibility of

Emphasizes the act of preventing something from happening entirely.

rendering it unfeasible for

Focuses on the practicality and feasibility of an action.

precluding the option of

Emphasizes that one choice is no longer available.

ruling out the chance of

Suggests a deliberate decision to exclude a possibility.

effectively blocking

Highlights a direct action that stops something from occurring.

blocking the opportunity for

Specifically prevents a favorable moment for something.

negating the potential for

Highlights the elimination of any future likelihood.

obviating any chance of

Indicates the removal of any opportunity for something to happen.

ensuring it cannot happen for

Focuses on guaranteeing that something is unable to occur.

FAQs

How can I use "making it impossible for" in a sentence?

Use "making it impossible for" to connect a cause with its effect of preventing something. For example, "The heavy rain was making it impossible for the event to proceed as planned."

What are some alternatives to "making it impossible for"?

You can use alternatives like "rendering it unfeasible for", "precluding the possibility of", or simply "preventing", depending on the desired level of formality.

Is "making it impossible for" formal or informal?

"Making it impossible for" leans towards a neutral to formal register. While understandable in most contexts, consider simpler alternatives for very informal settings.

What's the difference between "making it impossible for" and "preventing"?

"Making it impossible for" emphasizes the completeness of the prevention, suggesting that the action is entirely blocked. "Preventing" is a more general term for stopping something from happening.