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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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on going failure

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "on going failure" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct form is "ongoing failure," which can be used to describe a failure that is continuous or persistent. Example: "The project faced an ongoing failure due to lack of resources and support from management."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Thomas's long run from deep has been in vain but he will keep on trying to make these late runs, keep on going, as if each failure is motivation enough to try again, to try better, even if it means failing again, failing better.

The sea exemplifies the world's on-going failure to govern shared natural resources.

News & Media

BBC

The comedy legends line up and spill their guts: how they got their start; how they managed to get their sea legs; how they bombed in the early days but kept on going after those miserable failures in front of hostile comedy club audiences; how skunks can improve their personal hygiene.

News & Media

Huffington Post

We aim for wearable technology that everyone can put on and go without failure, as easy as the iPod.

News & Media

TechCrunch

The former official went on, "His failure as President on AIDS is incredible.

News & Media

The New Yorker

Lew has gone from failure to failure.

News & Media

Huffington Post

What's going on is perpetual failure of imagination and of trust.

News & Media

The Guardian

And Chertoff compounded the deception by insinuating that " The fact that we didn't have assets on the ground, trained people, proper equipment, to immediately send back messages about what was going on," was a failure of "the department".

News & Media

Huffington Post

The questions that arise about the morality of the strike are: despite the government's failure, is going on strike a collective responsibility of all three entities?

"We're signaling that there's a failure going on when people are leaving without adequate plans to get their needs met".

News & Media

The New York Times

Individualist strikes out of the ordinary, out of their imagination, and out of keeping with so much of the caution, the fear of failure, going on all around them.

Show more...

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the correct form, "ongoing failure", to ensure grammatical accuracy and clarity in your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "on going" as two separate words when you mean "ongoing". "Ongoing" is a single word adjective that correctly describes something that is currently happening or continuing.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

60%

Authority and reliability

1.5/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase "on going failure" is grammatically incorrect as it should be written as "ongoing failure". It attempts to function as a noun phrase where "ongoing" acts as an adjective describing the nature of the failure.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

0%

News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "on going failure" is grammatically incorrect and should be written as "ongoing failure". As Ludwig AI highlights, the correct form, "ongoing failure", is used to describe a continuous or persistent failure. Using the correct adjective form, "ongoing", ensures clarity and grammatical accuracy in writing. Alternative phrases like "continuous failure" or "persistent failure" can also be used depending on the specific context.

FAQs

What's the correct way to write about a failure that is continuing?

The correct term is "ongoing failure", using "ongoing" as a single-word adjective to describe the continuous nature of the failure.

Is "on going" ever correct in English?

Yes, but not when you mean "ongoing". "On going" would only be correct if "going" is a gerund and part of a verb phrase, such as "He insisted on going to the store."

What are some alternatives to "ongoing failure"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "persistent failure", "continuous failure", or "recurring failure".

How does "ongoing failure" differ from "single failure"?

"Ongoing failure" indicates a failure that is happening continuously or repeatedly, whereas "single failure" refers to a one-time event.

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Most frequent sentences: