unsuccessful to capture

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "unsuccessful to capture" is not correct in standard written English.
A more appropriate phrase would be "unsuccessful in capturing." Example: "The team's efforts were unsuccessful in capturing the elusive creature they had been tracking for weeks."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Wiki

Encyclopedias

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

At the Royal Rumble, Cena was unsuccessful to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a triple threat match where Brock Lesnar pinned Seth Rollins.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

He was succeeded in 1834 by his grandson Moḥammad, who fell under the influence of Russia and made two unsuccessful attempts to capture Herāt.

Encyclopedia Britannica

On the way, after an unsuccessful attempt to capture the city of Siena, he was stricken ill with fever and died.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Chris Mullin was a fellow traveller of Jeremy Corbyn in the 1980s, back in the day when the two of them were helping Tony Benn in his ultimately unsuccessful bid to capture the commanding heights of the Labour party.

The Guardian - Opinion

Security officials, however, said the operation was mainly an unsuccessful attempt to capture Assem Abdel Maged, a veteran leader of Gamaa al-Islamiya, which led an armed insurgency in the mid-1990s but has since renounced violence.

The New York Times

American soldiers fired on a Toyota passenger car in an upscale Baghdad neighborhood late this afternoon, killing at least three Iraqis, as an American Special Operations team prepared to raid a nearby house in what an Iraqi policeman later described as an unsuccessful attempt to capture Saddam Hussein.

The New York Times

After the unsuccessful attempt to capture Savannah, Georgia, under the command of General Benjamin Lincoln, the Southern Department of the Continental Army retreated to Charleston, South Carolina.

Wikipedia

After several unsuccessful attempts to capture or kill him, Serbian forces launched an attack against Jashari's home in Prekaz in March 1998.

Wikipedia

He orchestrated an unsuccessful attempt to capture the Acadian capital of Port Royal in 1707, raised provincial militia forces for its successful capture in 1710, and directed an unsuccessful expedition against Quebec in 1711.

Wikipedia

Since he had insufficient manpower to actually assault the fort, Brown then withdrew to Lake George, where he made an unsuccessful attempt to capture a storage depot on an island in the lake.

Wikipedia

The only direct attack on the fort took place in September 1777, when John Brown led 500 Americans in an unsuccessful attempt to capture the fort from about 100 British defenders.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "unsuccessful to capture". Opt for more grammatically sound alternatives like "failed to capture" or "unsuccessful in capturing".

Common error

The preposition "to" is not typically used after "unsuccessful" when describing an action. Always use "in" followed by a gerund (e.g., "unsuccessful in capturing") or rephrase the sentence for clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "unsuccessful to capture" functions as an adjectival phrase attempting to modify an implied noun, describing a state of failure or lack of success in an attempt to seize something. However, Ludwig AI indicates it is grammatically incorrect.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Wiki

33%

Encyclopedias

33%

News & Media

33%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "unsuccessful to capture" attempts to express a lack of success in seizing something, it is considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI points out the inappropriateness of the phrase, suggesting alternatives like "failed to capture" or "unsuccessful in capturing". The phrase appears infrequently, and when it does, it is found across various sources, but should be avoided in formal contexts due to its ungrammatical nature. Therefore, it's best to opt for more standard and grammatically sound alternatives to convey the intended meaning effectively. When trying to express the idea of something that couldn't be captured, remember that the correct form requires a preposition. Use "in" or simply replace the entire phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

failed to capture

Replaces "unsuccessful to" with the verb "failed", creating a more standard and grammatically sound construction.

unable to capture

Uses "unable" instead of "unsuccessful", providing a more common and grammatically correct alternative.

did not succeed in capturing

Emphasizes the lack of success in the action of capturing, using a more verbose but grammatically correct structure.

efforts to capture were unsuccessful

Restructures the sentence to highlight the unsuccessful nature of the efforts made.

attempts to capture were futile

Replaces "unsuccessful" with "futile", stressing the pointlessness of the attempts.

without success in capturing

Highlights the absence of success in capturing.

proved incapable of capturing

Focuses on the incapability to capture.

were thwarted in capturing

Indicates that attempts to capture were actively prevented.

missed the opportunity to capture

Highlights a lost chance to capture.

could not manage to capture

Suggests a struggle and ultimate failure in the attempt to capture.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "unsuccessful to capture"?

The correct way to express this idea is to use "unsuccessful in capturing" or "failed to capture". The phrase "unsuccessful to capture" is not grammatically correct.

What does "failed to capture" mean?

The phrase "failed to capture" means that an attempt to seize or obtain something was not successful.

Is there a more formal way to say "unsuccessful in capturing"?

Yes, you could use phrases like "did not succeed in capturing" or "efforts to capture proved unsuccessful". Both convey the same meaning in a more formal tone.

Can I use "unable to capture" instead of "unsuccessful in capturing"?

Yes, "unable to capture" is a perfectly acceptable and often more common alternative to "unsuccessful in capturing". Both phrases indicate a lack of ability to seize or obtain something.