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spending increased by 18.6 percent to $170.8 billion from $144.6 billion in fiscal 2001
Correction please.
May 1, 2007 04:35
17 yrs ago
88 viewers *
English term

Is it wrong to say you "made an achievement"?

English Social Sciences Linguistics Sociological study
I wrote "achievements were made," and a friend of mine says the correct collocation is "achievements were obtained."

I disagree with her suggestion. I would never say you "obtained an achievement." Achieving is accomplishing. That is why if you achieve something people say "you made it."

Please correct me if I am wrong!

Thanks in advance for your valuable opinions!
Responses
3 +16 Yes, I think it is.
4 I think the best way is to go with "xxx was/were achieved"
4 agree with Jane and David: verbalise
4 ''... achievements were scored''
2 +1 achievements were realized
3 achievements were won

Discussion

raymond rock Sep 13, 2012:
how about "China has 'garnered' solid achievements"?
María Eugenia Wachtendorff (asker) May 6, 2007:
Thank you, Lia. You summarized the essence of English grammar! ;)
Lia Fail (X) May 1, 2007:
It's not so much a Q of whether it's right or wrong, more a Q of what is most natural/most typically used:-)

Responses

+16
28 mins
Selected

Yes, I think it is.

I understand your reasoning, and I can't find anything definite in BBI or other manuals, but "make an achievement" doesn't ring right to me. You can achieve something (a goal, an honor), using the active verb form; you can have a list of achievements (on your CV); but whenever I have to translate "logros" I go to great lengths to avoid the construction you're asking about. I've seen "gain," "win," or "attain" achievements, but they all seem redundant to me.

I have no doubt that a gazillion examples can be found on Google, but in my opinion, neither "make" nor "obtain" nor any of the options I listed above makes the grade.

For what it's worth, MEW! Good luck and may you continue to achieve great things.

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Note added at 33 mins (2007-05-01 05:09:18 GMT)
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As for the example David supplied above: If I were editing that text, I would suggest "China has made great strides/remarkable progress in foreign trade this year" OR "China's achievements in foreign trade this year have been remarkable."

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Note added at 4 days (2007-05-06 04:16:56 GMT) Post-grading
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You're very welcome; glad to be of help. Lia's right, of course! But this kind of question is really fun to work on.
Example sentence:

His latest achievements are very impressive, but I won't hire him because he's a jerk.

She achieved something no ProZer had ever managed before--she supplied the selected answers on eleven consecutive KudoZ questions.

Note from asker:
Thank you, Jane! You are right, as usual :)
Peer comment(s):
agree Allesklar : In the original example, "progress" instead of "achievements" would work.
17 mins
Thanks, Allesklar. Yes, in that context it should work well. Depends a little on what is meant by "achievements," but I'd far rather see "made progress" than "made achievements."
agree David Knowles : Also with Allesklar, who has pinpointed a similar construction that works.
1 hr
Thanks, David. Yes, as long as "achievements" aren't finite and quantifiable (specific awards, etc.), the collective "progress" works well.
agree BrigitteHilgner : Yes, and also with Allesklar. "to make an achievement" looks like German sentence structure to me, not like English.
1 hr
I'll take your word for it! I know about 12 words of German. Thanks, Brigitte!
agree Olga B
1 hr
Thank you, Olga.
agree Alison Jenner : Also with Allesklar and Brigitte.
2 hrs
Me too! Thanks, Alison.
agree cmwilliams (X)
3 hrs
Thank you, cmwilliams.
agree ErichEko ⟹⭐
4 hrs
Thank you, Erich
agree Jocelyne S
4 hrs
Thank you, J S.
agree Mark Nathan : or you could change it round and achieve/reach/accomplish objectives
5 hrs
Another excellent option. Thanks, Mark.
agree Seema Ugrankar
6 hrs
Thank you, Seema.
agree Refugio : This is a case where the passive voice (both 'were made' and 'were obtained') sounds lame.
8 hrs
Thank you, Ruth. I was so fixated on the verb choice that I didn't even think about the voice, and you're absolutely right, as usual.
agree kironne
8 hrs
Thanks so much, kironne!
agree jccantrell : Agree with Ruth. Change it to a verb, ... achieved...
9 hrs
Yep. I think that's usually the best solution. Thanks, jccantrell.
agree Sophia Finos (X)
17 hrs
Thank you, Sophia.
agree Alexandra Tussing
21 hrs
Thank you, Rusinterp.
agree Muriel Vasconcellos : I just now came across this issue while editing a document. I had even checked the BBI, as you did, to no avail. Thank you for 'strides'!
3988 days
You're welcome, Muriel! I had forgotten this question and discussion. I'm glad you reminded me!
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you very much!"
43 mins

I think the best way is to go with "xxx was/were achieved"

switching it round ....
Something went wrong...
4 hrs

agree with Jane and David: verbalise



A concordance in the British National Corpus indicates what's typical.

http://sara.natcorp.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/saraWeb?qy=achievement

You need to go to the site to see what I mean, as I cxan only copy one sentence here.

Results of your search

Your query was

achievement

Here is a random selection of 50 solutions from the 3073 found...

A11 66 Radio signalling made more than a debut, helping toward the achievement of one of the decade's miracles, not only the survival but with greater expectation of long life of much of the Highland lines and many more.




You will get sentences like this also:

1 er. After 10 tumultous years of substantial achievement and disastrous mistakes, the Sandinistas cont
2 er. After 10 tumultous years of substantial achievement and disastrous mistakes, the Sandinistas cont
3 ays' labour, had become uninterested in his achievement and had delegated responsibility for the rul
4 ch subject. The early 1920s were years of achievement and satisfaction. She exhibited in Paris (sa
5 rly 2,140 organisations -- was in itself an achievement, as Mr Murphy Morobe, of the MDM, noted. I
6 Colonel's wife. Like many women of small achievement, Bo-Bo was generous with advice: "Fru M&osla
7 nd workshops. The Ministry's most notable achievement has been the transformation of the country's
8 nt, won The Queen's Award for Technological Achievement in 1991-- the first time that this award has
9 nce commended a candidate "with a record of achievement" in these revealing terms:"He has consistent
10 e, but set in a historical context it is an achievement. No one expected to reverse the pull of 14
11 total cooling rather than the intermediate achievement of control, leaving a residual but still sev
12 word. The Memphite system represents a high achievement of Egyptian thought and probably had a limite
13 r and his horse. That no longer exists. The achievement of the uprising, says the journalist Nahum Ba
14 and his horse. That no longer exists. "The achievement of the uprising, says the journalist Nahum Ba
15 of the profession and at whatever level of achievement. Over the years Artcare have introduced ma
16 robe, of the MDM, noted. It was a further achievement that delegates from these two, until recentl

Corpus evidence would seem to confirm that "achievement" is used without a verb.

See also the concordances for "achievement was/were", few to none for " + made":

http://sara.natcorp.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/saraWeb?qy=achievement ...

http://sara.natcorp.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/saraWeb?qy=achievements...

Your senetnce should probably be expressed with "be":

There were important achievements in regard to.....

Note from asker:
Thanks for all your help, Lia!
Something went wrong...
+1
4 hrs

achievements were realized

gets nearly 2000 googles for what it' worth
Peer comment(s):
agree Mark Nathan : and "to accomplish an achievement" is occasionally used
1 hr
Something went wrong...
5 hrs

''... achievements were scored''

http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&q="achievements were score...

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Note added at 6 hrs (2007-05-01 10:55:43 GMT)
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Alternatıvely,

'(remarkable / outstanding etc.) achievements were attained'
http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&q="remarkable achievements...

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Note added at 6 hrs (2007-05-01 10:59:21 GMT)
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During the reporting periods the following scientific achievements were attained.
http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:Iv6d17Di_Z8J:ec.europa.eu...

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Note added at 6 hrs (2007-05-01 11:01:13 GMT)
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These achievements were attained through Outreach with forty-nine high schools across Angus, Dundee, Fife, Perth and Kinross.
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/learning/wasc/outreach/outreach_offi...

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Note added at 6 hrs (2007-05-01 11:02:36 GMT)
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"It is not clear whether those early childhood experiences contributed to whatever successes I have enjoyed or whether those achievements were attained in spite of those experiences," Capecchi told an audience in Japan
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/features/capecchi/

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Note added at 6 hrs (2007-05-01 11:03:42 GMT)
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While it was highlighted that striking achievements were attained in poverty reduction, progress was slower in achieving the other goals (United Nations, 2003).
http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:QfT6PXf2lmkJ:www.un.org/e...
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9 hrs

achievements were won

it sounds challenging to me
Reference:

http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1994/vp941010/10100039.htm

http://blogs.britannica.com/blog/main/2007/02/the-us-founding-fathers-achievements-and-failures/

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