solution to someone

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "solution to someone" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to express providing a solution for a person, but the phrasing is awkward and unclear. Example: "I have a solution to your problem" would be a clearer way to express the intended meaning.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Any ideas? A. It's a common problem: a ground cover like English ivy, which must have seemed an easy planting solution to someone decades ago, now threatens to overtake an entire property.

The New York Times

"What I find most rewarding is availing a solution to someone in the most remote location, who does not have hope.

BBC

Eisen-Livneh further explained: "When I talked with my angel investor I asked him at one point 'How do I convey the pain and explain the solution to someone who has never been in the online dating scene, let alone experienced it from a woman's perspective?

TechCrunch

The solution to someone else's problem that seems so obvious to you is likely something they've already tried and it hasn't worked.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

In fact, offering "solutions" to someone with severe depression might only serve to make that person feel more hopeless.

Huffington Post

"I thought it wasn't a solution to give someone clothes or money.

The New York Times - Sports

And while Microsoft's Windows Phone platform offers an alternative to Android, it's not a solution to power being concentrated in someone else's hands.

TechCrunch

Schwartz comes with impeccable credentials when it comes to dealing with multi-author blogs; this is a solution that has been created from experience as opposed to being a theoretic solution to a management problem by someone who really has no idea.

TechCrunch

And while expertise and fluency may be hard-won commodities, simply learning to think like someone coding a solution to a problem can mean realising how the reasoned, systematic approaches someone else took might not be perfect – or, perhaps, neither reasonable nor systematic at all.

BBC

Until someone has a solution to the closing of that factory to leaving all those people destitute, that doesn't seem like the solution to the problem".

The Guardian - Film

When someone maps the solution to a global challenge, it makes it more problematic for it to remain unsolved.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing solutions related to individuals, prefer using the phrasing "solution for someone" as it is more grammatically correct and widely accepted.

Common error

Avoid using "solution to someone" as it's grammatically incorrect. Always use "solution for someone" to correctly indicate that the solution is intended to benefit or address the needs of a specific person.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "solution to someone" functions as a noun phrase, but it's grammatically questionable. Ludwig AI flags it as incorrect. It seems to attempt to describe a solution intended for a particular person, but the preposition 'to' is misused.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

25%

Wiki

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "solution to someone" is generally considered grammatically incorrect and its use is discouraged. As Ludwig AI indicates, it's better to use "solution for someone" or a similar alternative to clearly convey that a solution is intended for a particular individual. Although examples can be found across various sources, including news and media, it is advisable to use more accepted phrasing, especially in formal writing. The frequency of its use is rare, reinforcing the need to opt for more standard grammatical constructs.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

solution for someone

Replaces 'to' with 'for' to indicate the solution is intended for a specific person.

solution tailored to someone

Specifies that the solution is specifically designed to fit an individual's needs.

solution for a person

Replaces 'someone' with 'a person' to make the phrase sound more formal.

a solution that benefits someone

Emphasizes the positive outcome of the solution for the individual.

solving a problem for someone

Focuses on the act of resolving an issue on behalf of another person.

providing a solution for someone

Highlights the act of offering a solution.

finding a solution for someone

Focuses on the process of identifying a solution.

a fix for someone

Uses a more informal term 'fix' to mean a solution.

remedy for someone

Employs 'remedy' to suggest a solution that corrects or alleviates a problem.

resolution for someone

Uses the term 'resolution' implying a formal or decisive solution.

FAQs

What's a better way to say "solution to someone"?

A more grammatically sound and common alternative is "solution for someone". This phrasing clearly indicates that the solution is intended to benefit or address the needs of a specific individual.

Is "solution to someone' grammatically correct?

No, the phrase "solution to someone" is not grammatically correct in standard English. The correct preposition to use in this context is "for", making "solution for someone" the appropriate choice.

How can I use "solution for someone" in a sentence?

You can use "solution for someone" in a sentence like this: "This new software is a great solution for someone who struggles with organization."

What is the difference between "solution to someone" and "solution for someone"?

The primary difference is grammatical correctness. "Solution to someone" is not considered standard English, while "solution for someone" is the correct and widely accepted way to express that a solution is intended for a particular person.