ploughing

USAGE SUMMARY

'ploughing' is a correct and usable word in written English.
You can use it as a verb to mean the act of turning soil to prepare it for planting crops. For example, "The farmer was ploughing the field in preparation for the upcoming planting season."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Child benefit is to be withdrawn from families as soon as one parent hits earnings of £44,000, but any tapering would be costly and require ploughing money back via child tax credits.

The Guardian

In ploughing through three months of mail, somewhat jet-lagged, I was surprised to find four letters from NatWest, all extremely impersonal, telling me I had failed to make the minimum monthly payment on the outstanding balance of £12 on my credit card, and threatening to take court action against me.

The Guardian - Money

EDM bangers like this already sound rather passe but Alesso is ploughing ahead regardless, with Swedish superstar Tove Lo phoning in a suitably perfunctory topline.

The Guardian - Music

Django, offered his first kill on a bounty hunt, looking down from a ridge with rifle at the ready, frets about shooting a man out peacefully ploughing with his son.

The Guardian - Film

Stevens, though, was already committed to either tackle or block, ploughing through the prostrate Beglin and snapping his leg.

The Guardian - Sport

The education minister said the Coalition just had to keep "ploughing on with our messages" and he added "forward momentum [was a] great salve".

The Guardian

So instead of just ploughing in the stalks or turning them into cardboard, make it into charcoal and bury it or sink it in the ocean.

The Guardian

Rather than creating "enterprise zones", ploughing pupil premiums into decaying schools or investing in infrastructure projects, the government should support the people who want to find jobs elsewhere, most likely at the fringes of the big cities already emerging from the recession.

The Guardian - Opinion

An old woman was struck as she carried food to market, and a boy found his father killed, alongside his buffalo, in a field he was ploughing.

The Economist

Yet ploughing back into such territory risks wasting the momentum of the Bali deal.

The Economist

Even in the relatively liberalised South African market, privately owned operators like Comair complain that the government's $540m subsidy of South African Airways has created an uneven playing field and scared start-ups away.FastJet, a Tanzanian airline part-owned by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the founder of easyJet, is ploughing on regardless.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider the specific nuance you want to convey: tilling emphasizes soil preparation, while working through highlights overcoming obstacles.

Common error

Avoid unintentionally creating confusion by using "ploughing" in contexts where the literal agricultural sense could be misinterpreted. Be specific about the activity you are describing when "ploughing" is not the main topic.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "ploughing" is as a verb, specifically a present participle or gerund. Ludwig examples showcase its use in both agricultural contexts (preparing land) and metaphorical contexts (putting sustained effort). Ludwig AI confirms its usability as a verb in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

90%

Formal & Business

5%

Science

3%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

0.5%

Reference

0.5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "ploughing" functions primarily as a verb with both literal and figurative meanings. Literally, it refers to the agricultural practice of tilling soil. Figuratively, it signifies persistent effort or progress as per Ludwig's examples. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is considered grammatically correct and usable. The term is frequently seen in News & Media sources, with a neutral register. Alternatives include "tilling", "cultivating", or "working through", depending on the specific context. Use "ploughing" when you want to convey the sense of determined effort or thorough preparation, but be mindful of potential confusion between its literal and figurative senses.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

tilling

Focuses specifically on preparing the soil for planting.

cultivating

Implies a broader sense of nurturing and preparing, not just turning the soil.

preparing the land

A more descriptive phrase emphasizing the action of making land ready.

working through

Refers to progressing through a task or problem with effort.

pushing forward

Emphasizes continued effort and progress despite obstacles.

forging ahead

Suggests determined progress, often in the face of challenges.

digging into

Implies a thorough and detailed examination or effort.

getting stuck in

Suggests immersing oneself in a task with enthusiasm.

persisting with

Highlights the act of continuing despite difficulty.

endeavoring

A formal term for attempting something with sustained effort.

FAQs

How is "ploughing" used in a sentence?

You can use "ploughing" to describe the act of turning over soil in farming, as in "The farmer is ploughing the field". It can also be used metaphorically to describe dedicated effort, as in "They are "ploughing through" the data".

What are some alternatives to "ploughing"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "tilling" when referring to farming, or "working through" when describing effort.

Which is correct: "ploughing ahead" or "plowing ahead"?

Both "ploughing ahead" and "plowing ahead" are correct, but "ploughing" is more common in British English, while "plowing" is more common in American English. The meaning remains the same.

What does it mean to be "ploughing your own furrow"?

To be "ploughing your own furrow" means to be independent and follow your own path, doing things your own way without conforming to others' expectations.