skyrocket

It is ironic that a couple of years ago we were promoting the use of biofuel, but now there is criticism that growing for biofuels is competing with growing for food, and as a result the price of food is skyrocketing.

Thanks, Feebs for offering a natural version. However, in order to correct myself, I've learned that it's best to understand the unnaturalness of my sentences because if I don't feel convinced, I tend to repeat the same mistakes. Sorry if I'm asking a lot. If you don't feel comfortable, maybe another native speaker will help out.

PS: There's no need to be thorough. Every bit helps.

Hi N2G

Here is my opinion. Your original sentence had two main problems:

- The use of 'bioplants' is odd because (1) as far as I know, that word doesn't exist and (2) the word 'plant' can also be used to mean 'factory'. The "word" bioplant would seem to be a reference to a factory because all plant life falls into a category that might be considered to be "bio", so it makes no

Thanks, Yankee.

YankeeThe noun 'skyrocket' is only used literally

On the contrary, "skyrocket" and its variations are used routinely in situations like this.

N2G,
I'm not sure about your use of "bioplant", as far as I know it's not a word. Maybe "bio-fuel plant" would be better. Then again maybe not.

RayHOn the contrary, "skyrocket" and its variations are used routinely in situations like this.

I've frequently heard it used as a verb or a form of the verb (e.g.skyrocketing/skyrocketed) in such a context, but I can't recall ever having heard it used as N2G used it.
Did you find the way N2G used the word skyrocket to be "natural", Ray? To m

YankeeDid you find the way N2G used the word skyrocket to be "natural", Ray?

Not as written. I meant to add a suggested correction as follows: "pushing the price of food to skyrocket."

I don't know if this makes it sound any better to you or not but I find acceptable as corrected.

To be honest, I'm not wild about 'pushing the price of food to skyrocket', either.

I'd be far more comfortable with 'causing the price of food to skyrocket', or as Feebs suggested, 'the price of food is skyrocketing'.
.

How about "push the food prices to a new high"? Is "a new high" natural?

That sounds natural to me, N2G.