protracted efforts

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "protracted efforts" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe efforts that are prolonged or extended over a significant period of time. Example: "The team made protracted efforts to resolve the ongoing issues, demonstrating their commitment to finding a solution."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

Kazakh authorities said that the police had made protracted efforts to persuade the protesters to withdraw from the railroad tracks but that "50 hooligans" refused to do so.

The New York Times

Bruce has been in charge at Birmingham for little over two weeks since protracted efforts began to part him from his former employees, Crystal Palace, and install him as the man in charge at St Andrews.

The Guardian - Sport

He now concluded that his seemingly senseless, extremely protracted efforts to align his sentences on the right side of Microsoft Word were in fact generating unusual syntactical constructions and strange word choices.

The New Yorker

Following protracted efforts to assemble a viable government, the Social Democrats reached a framework coalition agreement with two other parties - the pro-business ANO party led by billionaire Andrej Babis and the Christian Democrats - in December.

BBC

British authorities criticized the deal after Kraft's protracted efforts to buy the company caused instability in Cadbury's share price.

The New York Times

Still, he and other experts worried that the new findings could lead to protracted efforts to resuscitate patients for whom it is inappropriate because they are at the end of their lives or for other reasons.

The New York Times - Health

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

44 human-written examples

British authorities are still locked in a protracted effort to send another prominent Muslim cleric to Jordan to face charges.

The New York Times

The successful restructuring of the party marked a final phase in the protracted effort to save ZANU and establish it as the national vanguard movement.

Encyclopedia Britannica

But anyone visiting the show to see Klimt, and only Klimt, will have to make a protracted effort to keep him in sight.

The Guardian

Fitch warned Monday that European politicians were taking a "gradualist" approach to creating a true fiscal union among the 17 euro zone member nations — a protracted effort that Fitch said would impose additional economic and financial burdens on the region.

The New York Times

The defeat of IS will need a protracted effort.When Barack Obama promised on September 10th that he would "degrade and ultimately destroy" IS few expected an attack on quite this level of "shock and awe" to be deployed so soon.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "protracted efforts" to clearly convey that a task or series of actions required a significant amount of time and persistence.

Common error

Avoid using "protracted efforts" when a shorter, more efficient approach was expected or desired. The term often implies that the process was longer or more difficult than initially anticipated.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "protracted efforts" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. Ludwig confirms that it correctly describes actions extended over time. It denotes the existence of prolonged attempts in order to achieve a particular goal.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "protracted efforts" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase in written English, denoting actions or attempts that are extended or prolonged over a significant period, as confirmed by Ludwig. The analysis shows the phrase is commonly used in news and media, science, and formal business contexts. The term suggests the action took longer or was more difficult than initially anticipated. Ludwig's examples demonstrate usage across varied situations, from political negotiations to business acquisitions. Consider using alternative phrasing like "lengthy endeavors" or "sustained attempts" for variety.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

lengthy endeavors

Replaces "efforts" with "endeavors" and "protracted" with "lengthy", emphasizing the duration of the undertaking.

sustained attempts

Substitutes "protracted" with "sustained", highlighting the continuous nature of the attempts.

prolonged campaigns

Replaces "efforts" with "campaigns", suggesting a more organized and strategic series of actions.

extensive undertakings

Uses "extensive" instead of "protracted", focusing on the scope and breadth of the undertakings.

drawn-out struggles

Emphasizes the difficulty and duration of the struggles, using "drawn-out" in place of "protracted".

long-term initiatives

Focuses on the extended timeframe of the initiatives, replacing "efforts" with "initiatives".

enduring pursuits

Highlights the lasting nature of the pursuits, substituting "protracted" with "enduring".

ongoing endeavors

Focuses on the continuous nature of the endeavors, using "ongoing" to replace "protracted".

relentless pursuits

Emphasizes the unwavering nature of the pursuits, using "relentless" to convey determination.

extended operations

Uses "extended" in place of "protracted", emphasizing the reach and duration of the operations.

FAQs

How can I use "protracted efforts" in a sentence?

You can use "protracted efforts" to describe situations where significant time and persistence were required to achieve a goal. For example, "The company made "protracted efforts" to resolve the customer's complaint."

What are some alternatives to "protracted efforts"?

Alternatives include phrases like "lengthy endeavors", "sustained attempts", or "prolonged campaigns". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is it better to say "protracted effort" or "protracted efforts"?

Both are grammatically correct. "Protracted effort" refers to a singular, extended undertaking, while "protracted efforts" describes multiple, sustained actions.

What does the phrase "protracted efforts" imply about a situation?

The phrase "protracted efforts" implies that the situation required a considerable amount of time, dedication, and possibly faced unexpected challenges or delays.