"Chip away at" is a phrase about ongoing, cumulative change, and the tense or aspect you choose should reflect that — most of the time, that means reaching for continuous forms rather than the bare present simple.
Getting this right isn't just a grammar nicety. It changes whether a sentence sounds like something the reader should still be tracking, or something already settled and closed.
Continuous and perfect continuous for active trends
When a trend is actively still unfolding — happening right now, or continuing up to the present moment — the continuous ("is/are chipping away at") or perfect continuous ("has/have been chipping away at") aspect is the natural choice.
"Rising support costs have been chipping away at our margin for the past two quarters." Ongoing, perfect continuous — the erosion started in the past and is still happening.
"The team is chipping away at the backlog this sprint." Ongoing, present continuous — happening right now, this sprint, not finished.
Both of these signal to the reader that the situation is live: something is still in motion, and there may be more to report on later. That's usually exactly the signal you want to send in a status update, an incident note, or a progress report.
Bare present simple for general or headline statements
Bare present simple ("chips away at") is grammatically correct too, but it carries a different tone — more headline-like, more like a general or summary statement than a description of something actively unfolding right now.
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Start learning for free →"Inflation chips away at fixed-income returns." Bare present simple, a general statement about how inflation behaves — not describing one specific, currently-unfolding instance.
That's a legitimate use, but it's a different one. It works well for a general truth or a report's summary line, less well when you're trying to communicate that a specific, current situation is still developing.
The mistake to avoid
The main risk is using bare present simple for a trend that's actively unfolding right now. Doing so can make an active, still-developing situation sound like a settled historical fact rather than something the reader should be tracking. If margin erosion is happening this quarter and you write "discounting chips away at margin" instead of "discounting has been chipping away at margin," the sentence reads more like a textbook observation than a live update — and a reader skimming for what needs attention might miss that this is current, not historical.
The practical check is simple: if you mean "this is happening right now, and it's still going," reach for a continuous or perfect continuous form. If you mean "this is generally true, as a pattern," bare present simple is the right, more headline-like choice — just make sure that's actually the register you want.
Practice scenarios
Practice using chip away at in situations like:
- writing a live status update where the trend is still unfolding
- distinguishing a general statement from a report on an active situation
- choosing perfect continuous to show a trend spanning multiple quarters
- reviewing a draft to check whether present simple undersells how current an issue is
Useful practice phrases:
- "Rising [issue] has been chipping away at..."
- "We're chipping away at [target] this sprint."
- "[General pattern] chips away at [general target] — as a rule."
- "This is still unfolding, so let's use the continuous form here."
The aspect you choose tells the reader whether to keep watching or move on.
Continuous for what's still happening, present simple for what's generally true.
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