a conservative change

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a conservative change" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a modification or adjustment that is cautious or minimal in nature, often in contexts such as politics, finance, or social issues. Example: "The committee decided to implement a conservative change to the policy, ensuring that it would not disrupt the existing framework."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

15 human-written examples

Comparison of the patterns of expression for arrays probed with RNA isolated from plants exposed to spaceflight compared to RNA isolated from ground control plants revealed 182 genes that were differentially expressed in response to the spaceflight mission by more than 4-fold, and of those only 50 genes were expressed at levels chosen to support a conservative change call.

Advances in Space Research

The P125A-mutation is not a conservative change and would be expected to alter peptide folding around the mutation site.

British Journal of Cancer

Therefore, we expressed a PfCDPK1 mutant containing glutamine at the gatekeeper position (T145Q) and another with the smallest amino acid glycine as a conservative change (T145G).

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy

The most informative mutations were G115F, P168A and Y134F, the last a conservative change that substitutes a Drosophila residue (F) for the corresponding mouse residue (Y).

eLife

Substitution of this residue for arginine (CD8-DOβ-KR), a conservative change for another positively charged amino acid, largely prevented MARCH9-induced downregulation (Fig. 1B).

European Journal of Immunology

The amino acid change Val60Ala, occurs in B-box1, a conservative change in amino acid sequence that is expected to be tolerated based on SIFT analysis [ 45].

BMC Plant Biology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

Histidine-94 (CTB) is a relatively conservative change from asparagine-94 (LTBh) and could potentially provide an improved hydrophobic interaction with D-fucose, which also matches well with the higher STD effect of D-fucose in CTB.

Angewandte Chemie - International Edition

Using Moser's theorem (see [15]), there is a smooth conservative change of coordinates φ p : U p → T p M such that φ p ( p ) = 0 →.

Advances in Difference Equations

Remark 3.2 From the Moser theorem (see [15]), there is a smooth conservative change of coordinates φ x : U ( x ) → T x M such that, where U ( x ) is a small neighborhood of x ∈ M. Proposition 3.3 If f ∈ int IS μ ( M ), then every periodic point of f is hyperbolic.

Journal of Inequalities and Applications

From the Moser theorem (see [21]), we can find a smooth conservative change of coordinates φ x : U ( x ) → T x M such that φ x ( x ) = 0, where U ( x ) is a small neighborhood of x ∈ M. Lemma 5.4 If f ∈ int CWE μ ( M ), then f ∈ F μ ( M ).

Journal of Inequalities and Applications

However, given that the mutation represents a relatively conservative change, and is far from the protease domain, at least some of the phenotypes seen in rsw4 might reflect gain-of-function effects due to the presence of an aberrant protein.

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a modification to a system or process, use "a conservative change" to emphasize that the adjustment is cautious and minimizes disruption.

Common error

Avoid exaggerating the effects of a "conservative change". The term implies a minimal or cautious adjustment, so ensure the surrounding language reflects this limited scope.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a conservative change" functions as a noun phrase, where the adjective "conservative" modifies the noun "change". It describes the nature or quality of the change, indicating that it is cautious and minimal. This aligns with the examples provided by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

36%

Formal & Business

7%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a conservative change" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase to describe a cautious or minimal modification. Ludwig highlights its prevalence in scientific and news contexts, suggesting a neutral register suitable for various professional and academic settings. The phrase implies prudence and risk aversion, making it useful when emphasizing stability and minimizing disruption. Be mindful not to overstate the impact of such a change, ensuring the surrounding language reflects its limited scope. Alternatives like ""a cautious shift"" or ""a moderate adjustment"" can offer similar meanings with subtle variations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a cautious shift

Replaces "conservative" with "cautious" and "change" with "shift", emphasizing the prudence and gradual nature of the alteration.

a moderate adjustment

Substitutes "conservative" with "moderate" and "change" with "adjustment", highlighting the limited extent of the modification.

a gradual modification

Emphasizes the incremental nature of the change using "gradual" instead of "conservative" and "modification" instead of "change".

a limited alteration

Focuses on the restricted scope of the change, using "limited" instead of "conservative" and "alteration" instead of "change".

a restrained revision

Highlights the controlled and measured nature of the change by using "restrained" and "revision".

an incremental adjustment

Stresses the step-by-step nature of the change, suggesting a series of small modifications.

a tempered variation

Implies that the change is mild and controlled, using "tempered" and "variation".

a careful amendment

Focuses on the attentiveness and precision of the change, employing "careful" and "amendment".

a measured transition

Suggests a deliberate and paced shift, using "measured" and "transition".

a subtle modification

Emphasizes that the change is barely noticeable or significant, utilizing "subtle" and "modification".

FAQs

How can I use "a conservative change" in a sentence?

You can use "a conservative change" to describe a modification or adjustment that is cautious or minimal. For example, "The company implemented "a conservative change" to its marketing strategy to minimize risk".

What are some alternatives to "a conservative change"?

Alternatives include "a cautious shift", "a moderate adjustment", or "a gradual modification", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "conservative change" or "moderate change"?

Both "conservative change" and "moderate change" are acceptable, but they have slightly different connotations. "Conservative" emphasizes caution and preservation, while "moderate" suggests balance and avoidance of extremes.

In what contexts is "a conservative change" typically used?

"A conservative change" is often used in contexts where stability and risk aversion are valued, such as finance, policy-making, and engineering. It suggests that the modification is not radical and aims to maintain the existing system.