PROPORTIONAL

Question

Could someone help me with this sentence, when i read it I knew what it meant but for some reason the structure and grammar might be off.

The size difference of the 2 files aren't proportional to their length in comparison to one another (as in a file that's 350mb is usually 45 minutes long and a file that's 550 mb is 55 minutes long, its not proportional in comparison)

thank you

Clive · Accepted Answer

Capitals and punctuation, please.

Thanks, Clive

Alc24 · Answer

The size difference of the 2 files aren't proportional to their length in comparison to one another (As in a file that's 350mb is usually 45 minutes long and a file that's 550 mb is 55 minutes long. It's not proportional in comparison.)

Clive · Answer

Hi,

The size difference of the 2 files aren't proportional to their length in comparison to one another (As in a file that's 350mb is usually 45 minutes long and a file that's 550 mb is 55 minutes long. It's not proportional in comparison.)

This sentence does not work as written.

Let me begin by asking you this.

If the file is just sitting on my hard disk, I know what it means to say it is 550 mb. However, it sounds very odd to me to say without any context or explanation that a file is 55 minutes long. What does that mean?

Best wishes, Clive

Alc24 · Answer

If it an AVI file, the movie is 55 minutes long, like an episode of an TV show, and if its 350mb than its a show that lasts 45 min, now the above is what I'm trying to say that proportionall the 550mb is heavier than the 350mb, so in comparison the files aren't proportional to their length.. hopefully you'll understand what I'm trying to get at.

While I'm at it, I had a question regard WHILE

Could you say both :

While he was sleeping, I watched TV OK

While he was sleeping, I was watching TV OK

While he slept, I was watching TV NO

While he slept, I watch TV OK

That's what I think, What do you think and what's the difference between each phrase?

thank you Clive

Clive · Answer

Hi,

If it an AVI file, the movie is 55 minutes long, like an episode of an TV show, and if its 350mb than its a show that lasts 45 min, now the above is what I'm trying to say that proportionall the 550mb is heavier than the 350mb, so in comparison the files aren't proportional to their length.. hopefully you'll understand what I'm trying to get at.

I understand much better now because you have offered some further explanation about the type of files you are discussing.

You need to revise your original sentence to include that type of information. If you want to do that and then post an amended version, I'd be happy to have a look at it.

Please don't add new queries to an existing thread that are not connected to the original title and query.

Best wishes, Clive

Alc24 · Answer

here is my original sentence

The size difference of the 2 files aren't proportional to their length in comparison to one another (As in a file that's 350mb is usually 45 minutes long and a file that's 550 mb is 55 minutes long. It's not proportional in comparison.)

would you say that or do you need to amend something??

Clive · Answer

Hi,

As I said in my last post,

You need to revise your original sentence to include that type of information. If you want to do that and then post an amended version, I'd be happy to have a look at it.

In other words, you need to include the information that you are talking about AVI files. The reader can't read your mind to figure that out.

My advice is that you are trying to say too much in one sentence, and that you should consider using more than one sentence to help the reader understand your meaning.

So, try again.

You have started using some capital letters, but your last post still contains two sentences where capital letters are needed. Please try to be consistent, because your students will copy your habits.

Best wishes, Clive

Alc24 · Answer

The size of the 2 AVI files aren't proportional to their length in minutes in comparison to each other as one is 350 mb and lasts 45 min whereas the other is 550mb and last only 55 minutes. The size-length ratio aren't the same on both AVI files.

I don't know if that makes sense.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

The size of the 2 AVI files aren't proportional to their length in minutes in comparison to each other as one is 350 mb and lasts 45 min whereas the other is 550mb and last only 55 minutes. The size-length ratio aren't the same on both AVI files.

It's not very clear here whether you are comparing the ratios of the two files, or the size to the length of each.

'Proportion' means a comparative ratio, eg the proportion of men to women, so I would talk about either 'ratio' or 'proportion' but not both together.

I'd say it this way.

One of these AVI files is 350 mb and lasts 45 minutes. The other is 550 mb and lasts 55 minutes. This means that the size to length ratios of the two files are not the same.

Or this way.

One of these AVI files is 350 mb and lasts 45 minutes. The other is 550 mb and lasts 55 minutes. This means that the proportion of size to length is not the same for both files.

Best wishes, Clive

Alc24 · Answer

Thank you Clive,

but when couls one use the floowing structure

the 2 aren't propotional in comparison...

thank you

PROPORTIONAL

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