on the initial attempt

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "on the initial attempt" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to the first try or effort made to accomplish something. Example: "On the initial attempt, we encountered several challenges that we had not anticipated."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Any student failing the qualifying exam on the initial attempt will have one additional attempt by the end of the semester immediately following.

Duke University

On the initial attempt to develop the green building program: "It was not really my idea, but that of several conservation-minded architects," he said.

HuffPost

First attempt success was defined as successful tracheal intubation, as defined above, on the initial attempt.

Critical Care

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

We speculate on the initial attempts to integrate biological agents as future potential strategies of treatment with and separate from radiation.

European Journal of Cancer, Supplement

The initial attempt at running protons through the collider, on Sept. 10, was so successful that CERN scientists thought they might achieve the initial collisions ahead of the scheduled two weeks after "first beam".

The New York Times - Science

The initial attempt, disclosing Waldheim's service in the Balkans on the staff of the Wehrmacht's Army Group E in the magazine Profil, fell flat.

Johns Hopkins University

The initial attempts for developing cooperative communications focused on physical (PHY) layer schemes [1 3].

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

The initial attempts to object to the proceedings proved dangerous.

The New Yorker

David Cameron launched an extraordinary attack on Jeremy Corbyn for having a "security-threatening, terrorist-sympathising, Britain-hating ideology", building on the Tories' initial attempt to define the Labour leader as "a threat to national security".

The Guardian - Opinion

Methodologically, the article reports on an initial attempt to 'follow the actors' involved in infrastructure-building, 'the formalizers, pigeonholders, categorizers, and number crunchers,' and to trace 'the making, the fine-tuning, the dissemination, and the upkeep' of infrastructure they perform (Latour, 2005: 2005.

International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education

The only flaw in Hingis's armor in the opening set was her inability to serve out the set on her initial attempt at 5-1.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "on the initial attempt", ensure the context clearly indicates a single, specific try. Avoid ambiguity by clarifying what constitutes an 'attempt' within your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "on the initial attempt" when describing general success achieved after multiple tries. Reserve this phrase for situations where the focus is specifically on the outcome of the very first try.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "on the initial attempt" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause to indicate the circumstances surrounding an action. According to Ludwig, it specifies when or how something occurred, focusing on the first instance of trying. Its usage is accurate in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Academia

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "on the initial attempt" is a grammatically correct and usable expression, as confirmed by Ludwig. It functions as an adverbial phrase, specifying that a certain outcome occurred during the first try. Although "on the initial attempt" is not overly common, it appears in various contexts, including science, news, and academic writing. When using this phrase, writers should make sure the context clearly indicates the very first try. Semantically similar alternatives such as "on the first try" or "at the first attempt" can be used. Overall, "on the initial attempt" is a useful phrase for emphasizing the outcome of a first try in various situations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

on the first try

Replaces "initial attempt" with a more straightforward and common phrasing.

at the first attempt

Uses 'at' instead of 'on', offering a slightly different prepositional choice.

in the initial endeavor

Substitutes "attempt" with the more formal "endeavor".

during the first effort

Replaces both "initial" and "attempt" with "first" and "effort" respectively.

upon the initial try

Uses "upon" instead of "on", adding a slightly more formal tone.

in the beginning

General phrase, refers to the start, rather than a specific try.

at the outset

Refers to the start of something, but less focused on a specific attempt.

the first time around

An informal expression for the first try.

in the preliminary stage

Focuses on the phase of the attempt, rather than the attempt itself.

at inception

A very formal way of saying 'at the start'.

FAQs

How can I use "on the initial attempt" in a sentence?

You can use "on the initial attempt" to specify the outcome of the first try at something. For example, "The surgery was successful "on the initial attempt"."

What is a more formal alternative to "on the initial attempt"?

A more formal alternative could be "at the first endeavor" or "upon the initial trial". These options offer a slightly more elevated tone compared to "on the initial attempt".

What's the difference between "on the initial attempt" and "in the first attempt"?

While both phrases are similar, "on the initial attempt" emphasizes the specific instance of trying, whereas "in the first attempt" may slightly emphasize the process. Both are generally interchangeable but "on the initial attempt" is a bit more idiomatic.

Is it redundant to say "on the initial attempt first"?

Yes, including "first" after "on the initial attempt" is redundant. The word "initial" already implies that it is the first try, making "first" unnecessary.