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MUSCOVITE Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

which is ugliest?

Hi,

Which of the THREE phrases below
sounds "least disgusting" to a native speaker ? :-)

(1) The rate of change of frequency must be negligibly small"
(2) The rate of frequency change must be negligibly small"
(3) The frequency change rate must be negligibly small"

mus-te
  

Top answer

Only #1 seems too awkward as far as the beginning is concerned. The main problem is the ending, which I would change to: (2) The rate of frequency change must be negligible. (3) The frequency change rate must be negligible.

— Mister Micawber

  • Only #1 seems too awkward as far as the beginning is concerned.
  • The main problem is the ending, which I would change to: (2) The rate of frequency change must be negligible.
  • (3) The frequency change rate must be negligible.
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7 Answers
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Only #1 seems too awkward as far as the beginning is concerned. The main problem is the ending, which I would change to:

(2) The rate of frequency change must be negligible.
(3) The frequency change rate must be negligible.
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Mister Micawber The main problem is the ending,
Unexpected outcome! :-) I remember seeing a few dozen examples with "negligibly small" in GLOWBE...

Is it somehow possible to explain why "negligibly small" sounds bad to native speakers?

Thank you MM!
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MUSCOVITEIs it somehow possible to explain why "negligibly small" sounds bad to native speakers?
Not to other native speakers necessarily, but to me. 'Negligible' means very unimportant or small.
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Mister MicawberNot to other native speakers necessarily, but to me. 'Negligible' means very unimportant or small.
Aha... I see.
Another followup question if I may....
Consider the adjective "infinitesimal" (which according to my Longman means "extremely small")
You will agree that the combination "infinitesimally small" is widely used
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MUSCOVITEYou will agree that the combination "infinitesimally small" is widely used in math, etc. books?
No; I'd have to see such statistics.
MUSCOVITEDoes "infinitesimally small" sound ok to you?
On a casual level, yes (just as with negligibly so), but when being careful, not at all.
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I do not like neglibly/infinitesimally small. I see and hear them, but I find them tautologous.
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fivejedjonbut I find them tautologous.
"being tautologous" - that is the clue to the puzzle! :-)
Thank you MM! Thank you fivejedjon!
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