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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak quote

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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Source out

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

"source out" is not correct or usable in written English
To use it colloquially, you could say "source something out" or "source it out," meaning to find a source of something. For example, "We need to source out a better supplier for this product."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

34 human-written examples

As Alastair Campbell put it in his diary: "The biggest thing needed was the source out", in order to "fuck Gilligan".

News & Media

The Guardian

"There is no prohibition on them taking people out - all we said is 'perhaps you ought to take a source out and get some stories instead'".

News & Media

The Guardian

Neither Mr. Siegel nor Ms. Totenberg, nor Ms. Montagne nor Mr. Kernis, said they would miss those times when Washington sources might not have heard of an NPR reporter — or the reporter might not have the money to take a source out to lunch.

"Do they seek a source out, or do they sidestep it?" says Bharat.

News & Media

Forbes

The Parrs and Lucius team up to fight the robot, until Bob uses Syndrome's remote control and one of the Omnidroid's detached pincers to make it tear its power source out, destroying it.

The situation in his father's campaign at the time warranted hearing the source out, he said, noting his "sirens" didn't even go off because Russia, at the time, "wasn't this big news story".

News & Media

Huffington Post
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Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

25 human-written examples

The literature indicates that some of the factors that impact health facility efficiency include, for example, catchment population, distance, location (urban/rural), ownership (profit/not-for-profit), teaching status, payment source (out-of-pocket/health insurance), occupancy rate, average length of stay, outpatient visits as a proportion of inpatient days, and quality [25, 38, 39].

From her sources out in the street, she said, she was told that gangs like the Crips and Bloods were trying to make inroads in Stamford.

News & Media

The New York Times

For those who dream of a post-Snowden utopia where no government and corporate secrets are protected, @YourAnonNews is one of the only trustworthy news sources out there.

This is something that other companies could do when it comes to sourcing out tasks to its users.

News & Media

TechCrunch

There are multiple sources out there and they will tell the benefits and drawbacks of all of them.

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Expert writing Tips

✓ Best practice

Instead of using the grammatically questionable phrase "source out", use phrases like "find a source" or "identify a source" to maintain clarity and grammatical correctness in your writing. If you mean to outsource, use "outsource".

⚠ Common error

Avoid using "source out" as a verb phrase. It's generally better to use "source something out" or rephrase your sentence to use more standard grammatical structures, such as "find a source" or just "outsource."

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Linguistic Context

The phrase "source out" functions primarily in contexts related to finding or identifying origins, but its usage is not grammatically standard. As Ludwig AI points out, the construction is generally considered incorrect.

Expression frequency: Common

✓ Frequent in

News & Media

37%

Science

31%

Wiki

14%

⚠ Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "source out" appears in various contexts, especially in News & Media and Science, it is generally considered grammatically incorrect. According to Ludwig AI, it’s better to rephrase using constructions like "find a source" or "source something out". The phrase aims to convey the action of identifying or obtaining a source, but due to its grammatical issues, it is best avoided in formal writing. Instead, opting for clearer and more grammatically sound alternatives will improve the overall quality and precision of your writing.

FAQs

How can I use "source out" correctly?

While "source out" itself isn't grammatically correct, you can say "source something out", meaning to find a source for something. For instance, "We need to source a new supplier /s/find+a+supplier".

What's a better alternative to "source out"?

Alternatives include using phrases like "find a source", "identify a source", or simply using the verb "outsource" if you mean to delegate a task to an external provider.

Is "source out" grammatically correct?

No, "source out" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. It's better to use phrases like "find a source" or "source something out" to convey the intended meaning clearly.

What does "source something out" mean?

"Source something out" means to find the origin or supplier of something, especially when looking for a particular resource or service. It's closely related to the concept of outsourcing or "contract out".

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Source & Trust

83%

Authority and reliability

2.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences: