a poor premise

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a poor premise" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the foundational idea or argument of a piece of writing, film, or any other form of communication that is considered weak or flawed. Example: "The movie failed to engage the audience due to a poor premise that lacked originality and depth."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

It's a good nightmare but a poor premise for a Crichton novel, in that it's hard to anthropomorphize, and unlikely to be solved by running around.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Our premise is that, a poor diagnosis of the disaster risk issue is at the root of the disaster risk dilemma in Brunei Darussalam.

International Journal of Disaster Risk Science

It is very alarming that almost 70% of the current premises are in a poor state of maintenance and safety.

Unicef

The premise involves a rich businessman and former Formula 1 racing driver who falls in love with a poor woman looking for work in his emporium.

Wikipedia

A poor, poor performance.

The Guardian - Sport

16th: A poor day.

The New Yorker

(a) Poor nutrition.

The New Yorker

A poor persons' revolution.

The Economist

A poor solution.

Forbes

These arguments are based on a false premise that private contributions create a system of "rich parks" and "poor parks".

Huffington Post

All case-patients reported having received biomesotherapy treatment from the same person, Practitioner A. An investigation team immediately inspected Practitioner A's premises and found poor sanitation and infection-control practices in place.

Emerging Infectious Diseases

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When critiquing someone's argument, specify why you believe it's a "poor premise". Provide evidence or reasoning to support your assessment.

Common error

Avoid dismissing an entire argument solely based on what you perceive as "a poor premise" without thoroughly examining the subsequent reasoning. A flawed starting point doesn't automatically invalidate the entire conclusion.

Linguistic Context

A poor premise functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. It describes the quality of an underlying assumption or starting point in an argument or discussion, highlighting its inadequacy. According to Ludwig AI the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a poor premise" denotes a deficient foundation for an argument or idea. Grammatically sound and usable, as Ludwig AI confirms, its function is to express disapproval of a starting point, suggesting inherent weaknesses. While not commonly encountered, its usage spans across news, science, business, and wiki contexts. Alternatives include ""a flawed assumption"" or ""a weak foundation"". When employing this phrase, specify why you deem the premise inadequate and avoid overgeneralizing its impact on the entire argument. In essence, "a poor premise" serves as a critical evaluation of a foundational idea, highlighting potential shortcomings in its development.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a faulty assumption

Similar to "a flawed assumption" but uses "faulty" to emphasize the incorrectness of the assumption.

a flawed assumption

Replaces "premise" with "assumption", highlighting the idea of something taken for granted that is incorrect.

a weak foundation

Substitutes "premise" with "foundation", focusing on the lack of solid support for an argument or idea.

an inadequate basis

Highlights the insufficiency of the base or groundwork, making it unsuitable or not enough to support a theory or an argument.

a shaky basis

Uses "shaky basis" instead of "poor premise", emphasizing the instability and unreliability of the starting point.

an unsound argument

Replaces "premise" with "argument", shifting the focus to the overall logical structure being weak.

a dubious proposition

Substitutes "premise" with "proposition", suggesting that the idea is questionable or doubtful.

a deficient rationale

Replaces "premise" with "rationale", focusing on the lack of adequate reasoning or justification.

an unconvincing starting point

Replaces "premise" with the explicit statement of the beginning idea that doesn't convince the audience.

a specious reasoning

Emphasizes that the initial thought process that leads to the argument is deceptive and not sound.

FAQs

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

You can use "a poor premise" to describe a flawed starting point of an argument or idea. For instance, "The plan failed because it was based on "a poor premise" about consumer behavior".

What's a better way to say "a poor premise"?

Alternatives to "a poor premise" include "a flawed assumption", "a weak foundation", or "an unsound argument". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is it always wrong to build on "a poor premise"?

While starting with "a poor premise" is generally undesirable, a skilled debater might use it as a starting point to demonstrate how even a flawed idea can lead to unexpected or insightful conclusions, though such cases are rare.

What makes a premise "a poor premise"?

A premise can be considered "a poor premise" if it's based on inaccurate information, logical fallacies, or unsupported assumptions. It's a starting point that is demonstrably weak or unreliable.