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TeacherJapan Posted 4 years ago
Grammar

Just a matter of?

This is a sentence from my teaching material. Is this usage of “just a matter of” sounds strange to me, and I would like to know what you guys think as native speakers. It sounds like something is missing in that part.

With communication nearly instantaneous, and with news constantly available, the modern world is just a matter of one crisis and another.

  

Top answer

teacherJapan this usage of “just a matter of” sounds strange to me use Me, too, and the whole thing is a little off. "X is just a matter of Y" means that X is inevitable given the inexorable effect of Y. Success in business is just a matter of money management.

— Anonymous

  • teacherJapan this usage of “just a matter of” sounds strange to me use Me, too, and the whole thing is a little off.
  • "X is just a matter of Y" means that X is inevitable given the inexorable effect of Y.
  • Success in business is just a matter of money management.
  • Keeping your dog healthy is just a matter of proper nutrition.
  • The cited sentence ignores the import of the expression.
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4 Answers
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teacherJapanthis usage of “just a matter of” sounds strange to me

use

Me, too, and the whole thing is a little off.

"X is just a matter of Y" means that X is inevitable given the inexorable effect of Y. Success in business is just a matter of money management. Keeping your dog healthy is just a matter of proper nutrition. The cited sentence igno

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My first language is not English, but It doesn't sound strange to me. Don't you hear terms like "It's just a matter of time"?

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teacherJapanIs this usage of “just a matter of” sounds strange to me

I think that "Is" is redundant in the clause above.

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teacherJapanWith communication nearly instantaneous, and with news constantly available, the modern world is just a matter of one crisis and another. seems to be (just) a matter of one crisis after another.

I've substituted my preference above. "just" is not wrong, but I think if I said that sent

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