to prevent affecting

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "to prevent affecting" is not correct in standard written English.
It is unclear and awkward, as "prevent" typically requires a noun or gerund form to follow, rather than a verb. Example: "We need to implement measures to prevent affecting the environment negatively."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

The Government, for example, has said nothing about possible contamination of agricultural products, leaving unclear whether it has taken steps to test milk and other food produced in the Western part of the Soviet Union and to prevent affected items from reaching consumers.

The New York Times

Several of the diseases the Center works to prevent affect more women than men.

Huffington Post

Antenatal screening aims to prevent affected births and neonatal screening aims to improve prognosis by early intervention.

Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation

13 By contrast, the clinical condition to be prevented affects only 0.3%1.6%% of medical inpatients. 1, 13– 15 This paper explores the nature of this paradox and the implications for medical thromboprophylaxis, using an epidemiological approach based on risk factor modeling.

Clinical Epidemiology

"For instance, civilian casualties are likely to be under reported, due to the continuing insecurity which prevents affected people from getting access to medical aid...and because communication channels have been disrupted," she added.

Huffington Post

However, more studies are required to determine any beneficial effects of natural antioxidants such as FM on the oxidative status of cows supplemented with polyunsaturated fatty acids, which could lead to feeding strategies to prevent diseases affecting the health status of dairy cattle.

Livestock Science

Social media was also dominated by comments on the pollution, with users of the Twitter-like Weibo site saying the government should do more to prevent pollution affecting their lives.

BBC

To prevent this affecting the internal validity of the trial we shall check that the proportions of patients using the three modes of completion are consistent across both PCTs and time.

BMC Health Services Research

Founded in 2008, Indianapolis-based Rook Security provides 24/7 managed detection and response to prevent incidents from affecting business operations.

The Washington Post

Gloves made of soft material or leather must be worn to prevent moisture from affecting the ball.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Corbyn said that free movement would be a necessary part of any open-market deal for Britain but called for measures to prevent it from affecting wages.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Using a noun or gerund after 'prevent' often improves the sentence clarity, such as "prevent damage" or "preventing damage".

Common error

Avoid directly following "prevent" with a verb in its '-ing' form. This often leads to grammatical errors. Instead, use 'prevent from' or rephrase to use 'avoid'.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "to prevent affecting" is intended to function as an infinitive of purpose, aiming to express the reason for taking an action. However, this construction is grammatically flawed because "prevent" requires a noun or a gerund.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "to prevent affecting" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided. As Ludwig AI indicates, it's an awkward construction that doesn't adhere to standard English grammar rules. Correct alternatives include using "to avoid affecting", "to prevent it from affecting", or rephrasing the sentence for clarity. When writing, aim for grammatical correctness to ensure clear and effective communication. When using 'prevent' consider if 'preventing from' would make more sense.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

to avoid affecting

Replaces "prevent" with "avoid", creating a grammatically correct phrase with a similar meaning.

to stop from affecting

Substitutes "prevent" with "stop", using the more natural sounding "stop from affecting".

to prevent from affecting

Adds the preposition "from", which is often needed after "prevent" when followed by a verb ending in "-ing".

to avoid an impact on

Restructures the sentence to use "avoid an impact on", changing the verb and subsequent phrasing.

to prevent influence on

Changes "affecting" to "influence on", altering the grammatical structure.

to preclude affecting

Replaces "prevent" with "preclude", making the sentence more formal but similar in meaning.

to avert affecting

Swaps "prevent" with "avert", offering a slightly more sophisticated synonym.

to hinder from affecting

Replaces "prevent" with "hinder", also requiring the addition of "from".

in order to prevent affecting

Adds "in order to" for emphasis while keeping the original phrasing.

so as to prevent affecting

Uses "so as to" for emphasis while keeping the original phrasing.

FAQs

How can I correct the phrase "to prevent affecting" in a sentence?

You can correct it by saying "to avoid affecting", "to prevent it from affecting", or "to prevent influence on". These alternatives offer grammatical correctness and maintain a similar meaning.

What's a more grammatically sound alternative to "to prevent affecting"?

Consider using "to avoid affecting", which replaces the verb with a gerund, creating a smoother and more accurate sentence.

Is "to prevent affecting" considered correct in formal writing?

No, "to prevent affecting" is generally considered grammatically incorrect in formal writing. Opt for alternatives like "to prevent from affecting" or "to avoid affecting" for improved clarity and correctness.

When should I use "to prevent from affecting" instead of "to prevent affecting"?

You should always use "to prevent from affecting" because "to prevent affecting" is grammatically incorrect. The inclusion of "from" after "prevent" is essential for grammatical accuracy.