a poor knowledge

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a poor knowledge" is not commonly used in written English and may sound awkward.
It can be used when referring to a lack of understanding or information about a particular subject, but it is more natural to use "poor knowledge" without the article. Example: "His poor knowledge of the subject led to several mistakes in the report."

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

55 human-written examples

Students reported a poor knowledge of nutrition, but recognised its importance.

Nurse Education Today

Our review of the literature identified a poor knowledge of bird parasite interactions in urban areas.

Landscape and Urban Planning

Participants had a poor knowledge and poor preparedness for IPV prior to undertaking a targeted education session.

Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine

This could be due, partially, to the particle heating assumptions (heat conduction within the particle) and to a poor knowledge of the thermal conductivity of liquid zirconia.

Surface and Coatings Technology

Meanwhile, Latinas born abroad are often condemned to low-paying jobs by an even skimpier education or a poor knowledge of English.

The Economist

The study shows that car buyers have a poor knowledge of cleaner car technologies, the environmental impacts of road transport and car ownership costs.

Journal of Cleaner Production

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

5 human-written examples

In fact, a recent study has proven that patients with bipolar disorder show a poorer knowledge of computer use devices, internet and social media when compared with matched healthy controls [ 57].

BMC Psychiatry

The results in Table  2 show that males, younger workers, workers with a positive attitude toward tobacco, and workers with a poorer knowledge about tobacco hazards, tend not to attempt to quit.

BMC Public Health

The importance of this finding on the results is unknown, but one may speculate that the older practitioners have a poorer knowledge of alternative and complementary medicine in general, which may be reflected in the results.

Chiropractic and Manual Therapies

An interesting finding in this study is that the multiparaes had a poorer knowledge on maternal health than the primiparaes although it was not statistically significant after adjusting with demographics and other socio-economic factors (P = 0.059).

BMC Women's Health

However, a recent KABP study in the French capital region found that people in this age group had a poorer knowledge and a weaker perception of HIV risk compared not only to the other age groups in 2010, but also to the same age group interviewed previously, between 1992 and 2004 [ 26].

BMC Infectious Diseases

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider the audience when using the phrase "a poor knowledge". In formal writing, alternatives like "limited understanding" might be preferable.

Common error

While grammatically acceptable, using "a poor knowledge" repeatedly in formal documents can sound monotonous. Vary your phrasing by using synonyms like "limited understanding" or rephrasing sentences to emphasize the lack of specific knowledge.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a poor knowledge" functions as a noun phrase, where 'poor' is an adjective modifying the noun 'knowledge'. It describes the quality or state of someone's understanding or information about a particular subject.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

79%

News & Media

14%

Formal & Business

7%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a poor knowledge" is used to describe a lack of understanding or information about a subject. While grammatically acceptable and very common across various contexts like scientific, news, and formal business settings, Ludwig AI suggests "poor knowledge" without the article might be more natural. However, the numerous examples found using "a poor knowledge" validate its usage. Depending on the context and desired formality, alternatives like "limited understanding" or "insufficient knowledge" may be more suitable.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

limited understanding

Replaces "knowledge" with a synonym focusing on comprehension.

insufficient knowledge

Emphasizes the inadequacy of the information possessed.

inadequate understanding

Combines "inadequate" with "understanding" for similar meaning.

deficient knowledge

Highlights a lack or shortage of knowledge.

scant knowledge

Indicates a minimal or insufficient amount of knowledge.

rudimentary understanding

Suggests a basic or initial level of understanding.

lack of awareness

Shifts focus to being uninformed or oblivious.

limited awareness

Highlights the limited nature of the awareness on a certain topic.

superficial understanding

Emphasizes a shallow or incomplete grasp of the subject.

basic grasp

Highlights only having the most basic knowledge.

FAQs

How can I use "a poor knowledge" in a sentence?

You can use "a poor knowledge" to describe someone's lack of understanding or information about a particular subject. For example: "Due to his a poor knowledge of the subject, he struggled to answer the questions."

What are some alternatives to saying "a poor knowledge"?

You can use alternatives like "limited understanding", "insufficient knowledge", or "lack of awareness" depending on the specific context.

Is it better to say "a poor knowledge" or "poor knowledge"?

Ludwig AI suggests that "poor knowledge" without the article 'a' might sound more natural. However, the use of "a poor knowledge" is grammatically acceptable and supported by numerous examples.

In what contexts is it appropriate to use the phrase "a poor knowledge"?

The phrase "a poor knowledge" is appropriate in various contexts, including academic, news, and business settings. However, consider using more formal alternatives like "limited understanding" in highly formal or professional documents.