near to complete

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "near to complete" is not standard in written English; the correct form would be "nearly complete" or "close to complete." You can use it when describing something that is almost finished or requires only a small amount of work to be completed.
Example: "The project is near to complete, with just a few final touches needed before submission."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

18 human-written examples

Everyone here is conscious of behaving well by saying the inadequate thing, and, by the end of the scene, as Toddy puts her few mementoes of her husband in a drawer and closes it, we are about as near to complete breakdown as these people will ever permit themselves to be.

The Guardian - Film

"As a performance, that was as near to complete as possible," Alexander, 42, told BBC Radio Lancashire.

BBC

While near to complete melting, both of them contributed almost equally; with a temperature reduction, the deviation from the rule of mixtures enlarged, and properties were increasingly influenced by the precursor with the lower melting range.

Acta Materialia

Furthermore, the helper-dependent selection requires a near to complete adenoviral infection of the target tissue in order to maximize the amount of clones that can be amplified.

Plosone

Near to complete knocked down expression of TRIM29 protein was found in two TRIM29 shRNA cell lines (TRIM29 shRNA 3 and 3b) exposed to UVB or not (Western blot on Figure 4A).

Plosone

After a fourteen-day recuperation period, anticipatory postural adjustments reached a near to complete recovery.

BioMed Research International

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

Developing a simple HIV test is a huge challenge that the group is near to completing.

The Guardian

By week 30, students should be near to completing their final draft.

The Guardian

But Senator Pat Roberts, the Kansas Republican who is the panel's chairman, issued a statement saying that the committee was nowhere near to completing its review and that it would hear from Mr. Tenet and others before reaching any findings.

The New York Times

Near to completing In a Strange Land (1979), he read a manuscript of a novel by the literary critic Wilbur Sanders in which Sanders made use of Beethoven's last piano sonata.

The Guardian - Books

It is as if we are near to completing one side of a Rubik's cube and being reminded the other five are all a jumble.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Favor alternatives like "almost complete" or "nearly complete" for better clarity and grammatical correctness. These are widely accepted and frequently used in both formal and informal contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "near to complete" in formal writing. While understandable, it sounds less polished compared to "nearly complete" or "almost complete". Consider your audience and the desired tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "near to complete" functions as a prepositional phrase modifying a noun or verb. It aims to express proximity to a state of completion. Despite its usage, Ludwig AI identifies it as less grammatically sound than alternatives.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

32%

Encyclopedias

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "near to complete" is relatively common, Ludwig AI highlights that it's not the most grammatically sound choice. Alternatives like "nearly complete" and "almost complete" offer improved clarity and are more widely accepted. Usage varies across contexts, appearing frequently in science and news, but its informal tone suggests it might be less appropriate in formal or professional settings. Therefore, consider using more refined alternatives for polished writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

almost complete

Replaces "near to" with "almost", providing a more direct synonym for approaching completion.

nearly complete

Uses the adverb "nearly" instead of the phrase "near to", which is grammatically more standard.

close to complete

Substitutes "near" with "close", offering a spatial metaphor for approaching completion.

virtually complete

Emphasizes that something is so close to completion that it is as good as complete.

practically complete

Similar to "virtually complete", stressing that the remaining work is negligible.

substantially complete

Highlights that the major part of the task is done.

essentially complete

Focuses on the core elements being finished, with only minor details left.

approaching completion

Uses a verb phrase to describe the process of nearing completion, rather than a state.

nearing completion

A gerund form that emphasizes the ongoing progress towards being complete.

on the verge of completion

Implies that the final stage is very close and imminent.

FAQs

Is "near to complete" grammatically correct?

While understandable, "near to complete" is not the preferred grammatical form. Alternatives like "nearly complete" or "almost complete" are generally considered more correct and sound more polished.

What's wrong with using "near to complete"?

"Near to complete" is less common and can sound awkward to native English speakers. Using "nearly complete" is a simple way to improve clarity and grammatical correctness.

Which is better, "near to complete" or "close to complete"?

"Close to complete" is a valid option. However, "nearly complete" is often the clearest and most concise choice. All are correct, but "nearly complete" is most commonly used.

Are there situations where "near to complete" is acceptable?

In informal speech or very casual writing, "near to complete" might be acceptable. However, for professional or academic writing, stick to more standard alternatives like "almost complete" or "close to complete".