put in drive

USAGE SUMMARY

'put in drive' is correct and can be used in written English.
You would typically use this phrase when instructing someone on how to operate a motor vehicle. For example, "Put in drive and press lightly on the gas pedal to begin moving your vehicle."

✓ Grammatically correct

Wiki

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The most common malfunctions of an automatic gearbox are failing to change gears even with the gearbox put in Drive, improper selection of gear, resulting in over-revving the engine or loss of power, failing to engage at all, failing to disengage when the lever is at Neutral, or failing to block the drive-train when the lever is in Park or Block.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

"Knowing the work I'm putting in is working drives me to work harder, it makes me more driven to be better," Johnson said.

Los Angeles Times

This is about putting in place rules that encourage drive and innovation instead of shortcuts and abuse.

The New York Times

This is about putting in place rules that encourage drive and innovation instead of short-cuts and abuse.

Science Magazine

To make a long story short, you basically just put in the drive, use Disk Utility in OS X or just right click on it in Windows to format it, and choose FAT32 as the file system.

TechCrunch

Once their talents are recognised, their academic career is often put in turbo drive – and for a brief time, they're media darlings.

Vice

Current Directory: If the program references files in its own directory, you don't need to put in the drive letter.

WikiHow

It's the kind of tune they would have put in the movie Drive if Ryan Gosling partied more, killed people less, and drove an automatic.

Vice

But, basically, this is a Christmas film that you put in your car, drive to a layby and put outside, before driving away very quickly indeed.

The Guardian - Film

It took an independent audit, a federal investigation and a flurry of investigative news reports for Fisher to gather enough support to suspend Hunter on Feb. 1, to put in motion the drive to oust him permanently.

The New York Times - Sports

Just as the world is waking up to the threat of climate change, perverse incentives are being put in place that drive an assault on the planet's lungs.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When providing driving instructions, use "put in drive" to clearly indicate the specific gear selection needed for forward movement. This phrase is universally understood in the context of operating a vehicle.

Common error

Don't assume everyone understands automotive jargon. If you're writing for a broad audience, explicitly state "put in drive" rather than using vague terms like "engage the transmission" which might confuse some readers.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "put in drive" functions primarily as an instruction or directive, commonly used to guide someone in operating a motor vehicle. Ludwig examples show it used in contexts of teaching or explaining driving procedures.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

41%

Wiki

33%

Science

14%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "put in drive" is a grammatically correct and very common instruction used primarily in the context of operating a motor vehicle. As confirmed by Ludwig, it is suitable for a neutral register and is widely understood across various sources, including news media and wikis. When writing, it's best practice to use this phrase when you need to clearly and directly instruct someone to engage the 'D' gear in a car. Avoid ambiguity by using specific instructions like "put in drive" instead of broader automotive terms, especially when communicating with a general audience.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

engage drive mode

Focuses on the action of engaging a specific mode in a vehicle.

shift to drive

Emphasizes the physical act of shifting gears to the drive position.

select drive gear

Highlights the selection of a specific gear for forward movement.

activate forward motion

Describes the result of putting a car in drive, which is initiating forward movement.

prepare to move forward

Indicates readiness for forward movement, implying the action of putting a car in drive.

set the car in motion

Focuses on the act of starting the car's movement, which includes putting it in drive.

get ready to roll

An informal way of indicating preparation for movement, implying putting the car in drive.

initiate forward movement

A more technical or formal way to describe setting a vehicle in motion by putting it in drive.

engage forward gear

Focuses on the action of engaging the specific gear that allows forward movement.

ready the car for travel

Describes preparing the car for movement, which implicitly includes putting it in drive.

FAQs

How do I properly use "put in drive" in a sentence?

Use "put in drive" when instructing someone to shift a vehicle's gear selector to the 'D' position for forward movement. For example, "Before accelerating, "put in drive" and check your surroundings".

What are some alternative ways to say "put in drive"?

You can use alternatives like "shift to drive", "engage drive mode", or "select drive gear" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "put the car in drive" or "put in drive"?

Both phrases are generally acceptable, but ""put in drive"" is more concise and commonly used in instructions. "Put the car in drive" is more descriptive but can be slightly redundant.

What does it mean to "put a car in drive"?

To ""put in drive"" means to select the 'D' position on a vehicle's gear selector, which engages the transmission for forward motion. This is a necessary step before accelerating and driving the vehicle forward.