pretty sure with

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "pretty sure with" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used when expressing a level of certainty about something, but the preposition "with" is not appropriate in this context. Example: "I'm pretty sure about the answer to the question."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

"She didn't make any mistakes; she was pretty sure with her game," said Sabatini, who found her backhand repeatedly sabotaged.

The New York Times - Sports

We originally blamed Canada for their profligate, suggestive socialist pharmaceutical policies, but we're pretty sure, with the flagrant and continued access to these crazy pills, that the source is located somewhere in the United States.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

I'm pretty sure Mary, with the help of her good pal Rhoda, erroneously wrote an obituary when the person had not yet died.

The New York Times

"I was pretty sure that with a seamless transition – the supply chain and the processing systems were already in place – 99% of those customers would continue to buy from a new owner, and they did," he explained.

The Guardian

Pretty sure anyone with a grade school education knows that.

TechCrunch

Now, that all sounds lovely, but we're pretty sure that with three other houses, it was the charm of LA itself that motivated Paltrow to buy.

Huffington Post

Thanks for blowing our minds, but we're pretty sure playing with your poo was edgy about 20 years ago in this country.

Vice

I don't know much about libido or appetite, but I'm pretty sure anyone with a plate of food in front of them shouldn't be distracting themselves with hair ties and penises.

Vice

Cleverly added: "I'm pretty sure a unification with Hopkins, with the IBF title on the line and the WBO title on the line, would take precedence over [another] mandatory challenger".

BBC

I'm pretty sure it comes with the job, along with an amazing stapler set.

Huffington Post

I am pretty sure getting blasted with media images of six-pack abs has something to do with it.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When expressing certainty, use "pretty sure of" or "pretty sure about" followed by the subject you are confident in. For example, "I am pretty sure of my answer" or "I am pretty sure about the details of the event".

Common error

Avoid using "with" after "pretty sure". The correct prepositions are "of" or "about". Using "with" can make your sentence grammatically incorrect and sound awkward.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "pretty sure with" functions as an adjective phrase attempting to express a degree of certainty or confidence. However, as noted by Ludwig AI, the use of the preposition "with" is grammatically incorrect in this context. The correct prepositions are "of" or "about".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "pretty sure with" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in formal writing. As highlighted by Ludwig AI, the correct prepositions to use with "pretty sure" are "of" or "about". While the phrase may appear in informal contexts, using grammatically correct alternatives like ""pretty sure of"", "fairly certain about", or "quite confident in" will ensure clarity and credibility in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

pretty sure of

Replaces 'with' with the correct preposition 'of'.

quite certain of

Substitutes "pretty" with "quite" and replaces 'with' with the correct preposition 'of'.

fairly confident about

Replaces "pretty sure" with "fairly confident" and changes the preposition.

reasonably sure about

Uses "reasonably" instead of "pretty" and corrects the preposition.

pretty confident in

Replaces 'sure' with 'confident' and 'with' with 'in'.

almost certain of

Expresses a slightly higher degree of certainty and corrects the preposition.

relatively sure of

Uses "relatively" to modify "sure" and corrects the preposition.

mostly certain about

Replaces "pretty" with "mostly" and uses the preposition 'about'.

quite positive about

Replaces "pretty sure" with "quite positive" and changes the preposition.

virtually certain of

Indicates a very high degree of certainty and corrects the preposition.

FAQs

What's the correct way to use "pretty sure" in a sentence?

The correct way to use "pretty sure" is with the prepositions "of" or "about". For example, "I'm "pretty sure of" that" or "I'm "pretty sure about" it".

What can I say instead of "pretty sure with"?

Instead of "pretty sure with", you can use alternatives like ""pretty sure of"", "fairly certain about", or "quite confident in".

Is "pretty sure with" grammatically correct?

No, "pretty sure with" is not grammatically correct. The correct usage is "pretty sure of" or "pretty sure about".

How do "pretty sure of" and "pretty sure about" differ?

While both ""pretty sure of"" and ""pretty sure about"" express a similar level of certainty, "of" is generally used when referring to a fact or piece of information, while "about" is used when referring to a topic or situation.