targets at improving

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "targets at improving" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct expression would be "targets improving" or "aims at improving." Example: "The new policy targets improving employee productivity."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

This program targets at improving the athletes' jump-landing technique.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

More targeted research can illuminate ways a program explicitly targeted at improving college readiness might better prepare students for college.

The Washington Post

Nutritional interventions targeted at improving phase angle could potentially lead to an improved survival in patients with advanced NSCLC.

BMC Cancer

Nutritional interventions targeted at improving phase angle could potentially lead to an improved survival in patients with breast cancer.

BMC Cancer

sidHARTe works towards supporting educational and health systems processes targeted at improving outcomes for acutely ill patients.

Columbia University

Gentine's Early Career project is targeted at improving the multi‐scale representation of the near‐surface heat exchange using observations based on high‐frequency fiber optic cables.

Columbia University

"Shifting device assembly to Asia is targeted at improving our time to market," said Niklas Savander, the Nokia executive vice president responsible for smartphones.

The New York Times

These are, for example, targeted at improving the gene condensation capacity, reducing toxicity, as well as aiming to give stealth or targeting properties after administration.

Polymers and Nanomaterials for Gene Therapy

The effects seen, they said, were particularly impressive given that they emerged within a relatively short period of time, and that the campaign was not even directly targeted at improving educational outcomes.

The Guardian

A new model targeting at improving features of an existing model must not risk or threaten other important features of the current model.

Journal of Network and Computer Applications

To determine the accuracy of medication reconciliation in an internal medicine clinic and to evaluate pharmacist interventions targeted at improving the accuracy of medication reconciliation.

Journal of the American Pharmacists Association

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "targets improving" or "aims at improving" for grammatically correct alternatives. For example: "The new policy targets improving employee productivity" or "The program aims at improving student outcomes".

Common error

Be careful not to insert "at" between "targets" and the gerund. Instead, use "targets improving" or rephrase using "aims at improving" to maintain grammatical accuracy and clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "targets at improving" is intended to function as a verb phrase expressing the goal or objective of an action. Ludwig AI marks it as incorrect. A correct alternative would be "targets improving."

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Academia

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "targets at improving" is generally considered grammatically incorrect in contemporary English. Ludwig AI confirms this assessment. The preferred forms are "targets improving" or "aims at improving", with the former being more direct. Though examples exist across science, news media, and academia, the incorrect grammar diminishes its effectiveness, especially in formal writing. When communicating intent towards enhancement, opting for grammatically sound alternatives like ""aims at improving"" or "focused on enhancing" ensures clarity and credibility.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

aims at improving

Uses "aims" instead of "targets", maintaining the "at improving" structure.

targeted at enhancing

Replaces "improving" with "enhancing" for a slightly different nuance.

focused on enhancing

Changes "targets at" to "focused on", shifting the emphasis slightly.

geared toward enhancing

Employs "geared toward" instead of "targets at", indicating a direction.

designed to enhance

Uses "designed to" to highlight the intended purpose of improvement.

intends to improve

Replaces "targets at" with "intends to", focusing on intention.

set out to enhance

Uses "set out to" to suggest an active effort toward improvement.

directed toward betterment

Employs "directed toward betterment", using a more formal tone.

oriented toward advancement

Uses "oriented toward advancement", suggesting a forward-moving direction.

strives for progress

Replaces the entire phrase with a more concise expression of striving for progress.

FAQs

How can I correctly use the word "targets" when I want to express improvement?

You should say "targets improving" or use an alternative construction like "aims at improving". For example, instead of saying "The policy targets at improving education", say "The policy targets improving education" or "The policy "aims at improving" education".

What's a good substitute for "targets at improving"?

You can use phrases like ""aims at improving"", "focused on improving", or simply "targets improving", depending on the context.

Is "targets at improving" grammatically correct?

No, "targets at improving" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "targets improving" or a rephrased version such as "aims to improve".

How does "targets improving" differ from "aims at improving"?

"Targets improving" is a more direct construction, while ""aims at improving"" uses a preposition to connect the verb with the gerund. Both are grammatically sound and convey a similar meaning, but "targets improving" is more concise.