successful attempt

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "successful attempt" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a successful effort or attempt. For example: "He made a successful attempt at cooking the meal for the entire family."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The only successful attempt has been the battle against smallpox.

The New Yorker

A reasonably successful attempt, too.

The New Yorker

It was a successful attempt.

The Guardian - Books

The referee had ruled out Prib's first successful attempt.

The Guardian - Sport

It may be my own, successful attempt at genetic engineering.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Two conditions are necessary for a successful attempt at defense conversion through corporate entrepreneurship.

Research Policy

RoboCup is an increasingly successful attempt to promote the full integration of AI and robotics research.

Artificial Intelligence

The counter of failed attempts resets to 0 after a successful attempt to authenticate.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

So, a successful attempt at a quad toe loop could earn a skater 12.8 points.

The New York Times - Sports

("Saturday Night" has perhaps been his most successful attempt so far).

The New York Times - Magazine

His successful attempt against the Giants tied the N.F.C. title game, which went into overtime.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a past event, consider using "successful attempt" to highlight that effort was made and a positive outcome was achieved, adding a layer of accomplishment to your description.

Common error

Avoid using phrases like "successful attempt achieved" as it's redundant. The word "successful" already implies achievement. Opt for clarity and conciseness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "successful attempt" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. It describes an action or endeavor that has resulted in a positive outcome, denoting that effort was made and a desired result was achieved. Ludwig shows that this phrase is commonly used to convey accomplishment.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Science

30%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

2%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "successful attempt" is a grammatically correct and versatile noun phrase, commonly used across various contexts to describe an action or endeavor that has yielded a positive outcome. As verified by Ludwig, this phrase is widely used in news, scientific, and academic writing. While it is generally neutral in tone, it effectively highlights achievement and can be used to convey satisfaction or provide factual information. To enhance clarity and avoid redundancy, it's recommended to avoid using phrases like "successful attempt achieved" and, as always, to be mindful of the specific context when choosing the most appropriate phrasing. The variety of examples in Ludwig also demonstrates its versatility and the many different scenarios where this expression is useful.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fruitful endeavor

Replaces 'attempt' with 'endeavor' implying a sustained effort that yielded positive results and replaces 'successful' with 'fruitful'.

effective effort

Focuses on the effectiveness of the effort rather than explicitly stating it was an attempt and replaces 'successful' with 'effective'.

winning effort

Emphasizes the victory or win that resulted from the effort, rather than the attempt itself.

triumphant undertaking

Implies a more significant and ambitious project that was successfully completed and replaces 'attempt' with 'undertaking'.

positive outcome

Shifts the focus to the result, omitting the explicit mention of an attempt or effort made.

accomplished goal

Highlights the achievement of a specific objective, minimizing the emphasis on the process.

operative implementation

More formal, often used in technical or business contexts to refer to an action being completed successfully and replaces 'attempt' with 'implementation'.

realized ambition

Focuses on the fulfillment of a long-term aspiration rather than a simple attempt.

operative execution

Focuses on the successful execution of an plan and replaces 'attempt' with 'execution'.

achieved objective

Highlights that an objective has been achieved and replaces 'attempt' with 'objective'.

FAQs

How can I use "successful attempt" in a sentence?

You can use "successful attempt" to describe a positive outcome after effort, such as: "The surgery was a "successful attempt" to remove the tumor", or "Their "successful attempt" at negotiating a peace treaty prevented further conflict".

What are some alternatives to "successful attempt"?

Alternatives include phrases like "fruitful endeavor", "effective effort", or "positive outcome", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it redundant to say "a very successful attempt"?

While not strictly incorrect, "a very successful attempt" can often be simplified to "a "successful attempt"" or even just "success". The degree of success is often implied or can be elaborated on with additional details.

What's the difference between "successful attempt" and "attempted successfully"?

"Successful attempt" is a noun phrase describing the effort. "Attempted successfully" is a verb phrase describing the action. For example, "Their "successful attempt" at negotiation..." vs. "They attempted to negotiate successfully...".