a poor trial

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a poor trial" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a trial or test that is inadequate or unsatisfactory in some way. Example: "The results of the experiment were inconclusive, indicating that it was a poor trial."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

So when doctors say that a trial is weak, and poor quality, it's not because they want to maintain the hegemony, or because they work for "the man": it's because a poor trial is simply not a fair test of a treatment.

The Guardian

He was, however, considered a poor trial judge, being reversed on appeal more frequently than any of his peers.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

He added: "If you look at the numbers, we're very good at taking people who swim a good trials or even a poor trials and getting them to swim faster four weeks later".

Los Angeles Times

To AstraZeneca scientists, ImClone's problems seemed simply a question of poor trial design.

Forbes

Heller and Niethard [ 9] identified poor trial methodological quality as a barrier to an assessment of the effectiveness of ESWT and were unable to demonstrate any benefit from the treatment in this narrative review article.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Key information is often missing from published trials 2 3 and there may be a correlation between incomplete reporting and poor trial methodology.

BMJ Open

"Everybody can be a threat unless they have a poor team trial," which will be held Tuesday.

The New York Times - Sports

These include multifactorial mechanisms of resistance, toxicity of the inhibitors and unfavourable pharmacological interactions, as well as a poor clinical trial design.

British Journal of Cancer

The campaign has suppressed sales of the drug at a time when AstraZeneca has been hit by poor trial results from its cancer drug Iressa, its anti-clotting drug Exanta was not approved by regulators, and lawsuits were filed against the alleged misleading promotion of its ulcer drug Nexium.

The Guardian - Business

The history of poor trial outcomes continues to feed apathy and lacklustre investigation.

The Guardian - Opinion

On July 30, after disclosure of the poor trial results, shares of Elan and Wyeth sank.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing research or experiments, use "a poor trial" to objectively highlight methodological weaknesses or design flaws that may affect the validity of the results. This ensures clarity and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using overly emotional or subjective language when describing a trial as "poor". Instead, focus on specific details and evidence that support your assessment, such as methodological flaws or biased data collection.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a poor trial" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "poor" modifies the noun "trial". It describes a trial that is deficient in quality or execution, as highlighted in Ludwig examples.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

41%

News & Media

38%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

1%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a poor trial" is a noun phrase used to describe a trial lacking in quality or proper execution. According to Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically correct, although its frequency is rare. This phrase is most often used in scientific and news contexts, signaling methodological weaknesses or design flaws. Remember, objectivity is key when using this phrase; focus on the specifics rather than subjective judgments. Consider alternatives like "a substandard trial" or "a flawed trial" to add nuance. Overall, understand the context to use "a poor trial" effectively and accurately.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a substandard trial

Replaces "poor" with "substandard", indicating a trial that fails to meet the required quality or standards.

an inadequate trial

Substitutes "poor" with "inadequate", highlighting that the trial is insufficient or not good enough for its purpose.

a deficient trial

Uses "deficient" instead of "poor", emphasizing a lack of necessary qualities or components in the trial.

a flawed trial

Replaces "poor" with "flawed", focusing on the presence of errors or imperfections that undermine the trial's validity.

a weak trial

Uses "weak" to describe the trial, suggesting that it lacks strength or persuasiveness in its design or execution.

a badly designed trial

Focuses on the design aspect, indicating that the trial's structure is fundamentally poor.

a poorly conducted trial

Emphasizes the execution of the trial, suggesting that it was carried out in an unsatisfactory manner.

an unsuccessful trial

Highlights the negative outcome of the trial, indicating that it failed to achieve its intended goals.

a failed trial

Similar to 'an unsuccessful trial', this emphasizes the lack of success or the trial not meeting expectations.

a compromised trial

Suggests the trial's integrity or reliability has been undermined, making the results questionable.

FAQs

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

You can use "a poor trial" to describe experiments or tests that are inadequate. For instance, "The study was ultimately invalidated because it was "a poor trial" due to numerous methodological errors".

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

Instead of saying "a poor trial", you could use phrases like "a substandard trial", "an inadequate trial", or "a flawed trial", depending on the context.

What makes a clinical trial "a poor trial"?

A clinical trial might be considered "a poor trial" if it suffers from issues like inadequate sample sizes, biased data collection, lack of proper controls, or significant methodological flaws.

Is there a difference between "a poor trial" and "an unsuccessful trial"?

Yes, "a poor trial" refers to the quality and design of the trial itself, indicating flaws in its execution or methodology. "An unsuccessful trial", on the other hand, refers to the outcome of the trial, meaning it didn't achieve the desired results, even if the trial was well-designed.