signs of progress

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "signs of progress" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate evidence or indications that improvement or advancement is occurring in a particular situation or context. Example: "After several months of hard work, we are finally seeing signs of progress in the project."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Signs of progress abound.

The Economist

Signs of progress are few.

The Economist

There are signs of progress.

The New York Times

There are some signs of progress, however.

The New York Times

Few visible signs of progress have emerged.

The New York Times

Still there are small signs of progress.

The New York Times

Already there are signs of progress.

The New York Times

But there are signs of progress.

The Economist

Nevertheless, there were signs of progress.

Encyclopedia Britannica

There are some signs of progress.

The New York Times

Because of the signs of progress.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In professional reporting, follow this phrase with a colon or a 'such as' clause to immediately provide the data or evidence that supports the claim.

Common error

Do not use "signs of progress" when a task is actually finished. The phrase implies that the process is still ongoing. If the work is done, prefer phrases like 'milestone achieved' or 'project completed' to avoid ambiguity.

Linguistic Context

In the linguistic landscape described by Ludwig, "signs of progress" functions primarily as a noun phrase. It is frequently employed as the direct object of verbs like 'see', 'show', 'note' or 'demonstrate', or as the subject of existential clauses (e.g., 'There are...').

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Academia

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

3%

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "signs of progress" is an essential and highly versatile phrase in the English language. According to Ludwig AI, it is universally accepted as grammatically correct and is used extensively by the world's most authoritative sources. Whether you are writing a news report, an academic paper or a business summary, this phrase effectively communicates that a situation is moving in a positive direction. It is often paired with adjectives that quantify the visibility of the progress, such as 'early' or 'clear'. While many alternatives exist, such as "indications of improvement", the main query remains the most idiomatic choice for general use.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

indications of improvement

More formal and often used in clinical or technical contexts.

evidence of advancement

Stronger focus on physical or measurable steps forward.

signals of momentum

Emphasizes the speed and continuing force of the progress.

hints of headway

Suggests that progress is subtle or just beginning to be noticed.

marks of growth

Commonly used in economic, biological or personal development contexts.

traces of recovery

Specific to situations where an entity is returning from a negative state.

indices of development

Highly technical, often referring to statistical benchmarks.

symptoms of success

Uses a medical metaphor to imply that success is manifesting naturally.

manifestations of change

Neutral term that focuses on the observable shift rather than the value.

glimmers of hope

Used when progress is small but significant in a difficult situation.

FAQs

What can I say instead of "signs of progress"?

You can use alternatives like "indications of improvement", "evidence of advancement", or "marks of growth" depending on the specific context.

How do you use "signs of progress" in a sentence?

A common way to use it is as a subject or object of observation, for example: "The peace talks are finally showing "signs of progress" after weeks of deadlock."

Is it "sign of progress" or "signs of progress"?

Both are correct. Use "sign of progress" for a single indicator and "signs of progress" when there are multiple pieces of evidence.

What's the difference between "signs of progress" and "hints of headway"?

The phrase "signs of progress" is a neutral, standard term, while "hints of headway" is more stylistic and suggests that the advancement is very early or subtle.