prevents us from

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "prevents us from" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate that something is stopping or hindering a group of people from doing something. Example: "The heavy rain prevents us from going outside for our planned picnic."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

The strange thing is that nothing in them prevents us from using other lenses, too.

The New York Times

However, computational efficiency prevents us from using this strategy.

Plosone

This prevents us from generating correlation coefficients of reliability using matched respondents.

BMC Health Services Research

But that logic prevents us from thinking about the number of people using the tax strategy.

The Guardian

What prevents us from preparing for disasters?

The New York Times - Magazine

And resentment prevents us from enjoying the city.

The New York Times

"It prevents us from seeing things as they are".

The New Yorker

"It prevents us from seeing what's really there".

The New Yorker

The idea of "race" prevents us from seeing it.

The New York Times

A recent change to our living situation, however, prevents us from doing that.

The New York Times

It is all that prevents us from going under the sea".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider the level of formality required. While acceptable in most contexts, more formal alternatives like "precludes" may be suitable for academic or professional writing.

Common error

Avoid using "prevents us from" when the action is merely made more difficult, rather than completely stopped. Use alternatives like "hinders us from" or "makes it difficult for us to" in such cases.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "prevents us from" functions as a causative expression, indicating that something acts as an obstacle or barrier, stopping a group (represented by "us") from performing an action. Ludwig AI shows many examples where this phrase introduces a reason why something cannot be done.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

44%

Science

43%

Formal & Business

3%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "prevents us from" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to indicate that something is stopping a group from performing an action. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is used across various contexts, especially in News & Media and Science. While generally neutral in tone, consider more formal alternatives like "precludes" for academic writing. When using the phrase, ensure clarity about who or what is being prevented, and avoid it when the action is merely made more difficult. Alternatives include "stops us from", "hinders us from" and "prohibits us from".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

stops us from

A more direct and commonly used alternative, suitable for most contexts.

hinders us from

Slightly more formal, suggesting a partial obstruction rather than a complete stop.

impedes us from

Similar to hinders, but often implies a greater degree of difficulty.

prohibits us from

Indicates a formal or legal ban on an action.

precludes us from

A more formal and less common alternative, suggesting impossibility.

restricts us from

Implies limitations or constraints on an action.

inhibits us from

Suggests a psychological or internal barrier.

constrains us from

Highlights external forces limiting freedom of action.

deters us from

Implies that something discourages or dissuades an action.

forestalls us from

Suggests acting in advance to prevent something from happening.

FAQs

How can I use "prevents us from" in a sentence?

Use "prevents us from" to indicate that something is stopping a group of people from doing something. For example, "The lack of funding prevents us from completing the project."

What are some alternatives to "prevents us from"?

You can use alternatives like "stops us from", "hinders us from", or "prohibits us from" depending on the context.

Is "prevents us from" formal or informal?

"Prevents us from" is generally acceptable in both formal and informal contexts. However, for very formal writing, you might consider alternatives like "precludes us from".

What is the difference between "prevents us from" and "discourages us from"?

"Prevents us from" implies a complete stop or barrier, while "discourages us from" suggests something makes an action less appealing or likely, but not impossible.