performance pretty good

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "performance pretty good" is not correct in standard written English.
It can be used informally in spoken language, but it requires a verb or an article to be grammatically correct in writing. Example: "The performance was pretty good overall, and the audience seemed to enjoy it."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Shelton allowed that it wasn't the worst thing to throw a contestant "something out of left field" and gallantly declared the performance "pretty good".

Los Angeles Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

And their performance is pretty good, at least before fees.

The Economist

(Actually, the bear's performance is pretty good).

The New York Times

The rest of the performance was pretty good, too.

The New York Times - Arts

"For the most part, I.B.M.'s performance was pretty good," said A. M. Sacconaghi, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein.

The New York Times - Tech

The performance was pretty good because after sitting at home for 11 months, to come back and run 2.04 is not easy, especially after what happened to me.

The Guardian - Sport

Rory McIlroy summed up his comeback performance as "pretty good so far" after the second round of the Kolon Korea Open finished with the Northern Irishman two shots off the lead.

Independent

"But we got ourselves back in the game and I thought our second-half performance was pretty good, given the circumstances.

BBC

"I think his performance was pretty good, considering the length of time he has been out and the lack of rugby he has had.

BBC

She made her break in 1999 with two terrific performances in pretty good movies.

The Guardian - Film

Greece's recent economic performance has been pretty good.

The Guardian - Business

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a performance, ensure your sentence includes a verb to be grammatically correct. For example, say "The performance was pretty good" instead of just stating "Performance pretty good".

Common error

A common mistake is to leave out the verb when describing a performance. Avoid phrases like "Performance pretty good" and always include a verb, such as "was", "is", or "seemed", to create a complete and grammatically sound sentence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "performance pretty good" functions as a descriptive phrase. However, it's grammatically incomplete as it lacks a verb. According to Ludwig, it's more common in spoken language than in formal writing.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "performance pretty good" conveys a generally positive sentiment, it's considered grammatically incorrect in standard written English according to Ludwig. To correct it, include a verb such as "is" or "was" (e.g., "The performance is pretty good"). It appears rarely, primarily in news and media or science contexts. For formal writing, consider using alternatives like "performance was quite good" or "performance was satisfactory" to maintain a more professional tone. The key takeaway is to ensure grammatical completeness for clarity and correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

performance was quite good

Replaces "pretty" with "quite", offering a slightly more formal tone while retaining a similar meaning.

performance was rather good

Employs "rather" instead of "pretty", expressing a slightly more refined evaluation of the performance.

performance was fairly good

Substitutes "pretty" with "fairly", indicating a slightly lower degree of satisfaction with the performance.

performance was quite satisfactory

Combines "quite" with "satisfactory" to enhance the sense of accomplishment of the performance.

performance was reasonably good

Employs "reasonably" instead of "pretty", suggesting an acceptable but not exceptional level of quality.

performance was satisfactory

Replaces the entire phrase with a single word, "satisfactory", conveying the idea that the performance met expectations.

performance was notably good

Uses "notably" to highlight that the performance was good in a way that's worth noting.

performance was commendable

Utilizes "commendable", indicating that the performance is worthy of praise.

performance was surprisingly good

The addition of "surprisingly" indicates an unexpected element to the level of positive performance.

performance was exceptionally good

The addition of "exceptionally" indicates an extremely high level of positive performance.

FAQs

How can I properly use the phrase "performance pretty good" in a sentence?

The phrase "performance pretty good" requires a verb to be grammatically correct. You can say "The "performance was pretty good"" or "The "performance seemed pretty good"".

What are some alternatives to "performance pretty good" that sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases like "performance was quite good", "performance was satisfactory", or "performance was commendable".

Is it correct to say "performance pretty good" in written English?

According to Ludwig, the phrase "performance pretty good" is not correct in standard written English. It's more appropriate to say "The "performance was pretty good"".

What's the difference between "performance pretty good" and "performance is pretty good"?

"Performance pretty good" is grammatically incomplete. Adding the verb "is" makes it a complete sentence: "Performance is pretty good". The latter is grammatically correct.