a positive proportion

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a positive proportion" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a favorable or advantageous ratio or fraction in a particular context, such as statistics or research findings. Example: "In the survey, a positive proportion of respondents indicated that they were satisfied with the service provided."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

In joint work with Arul Shankar and also with Christopher Skinner, Bhargava came to the surprising conclusion that a positive proportion of elliptic curves have only one rational point and a positive proportion have infinitely many.

The Guardian

Analogously, in the case of hyperelliptic curves of degree 4, Bhargava showed that a positive proportion of such curves have no rational points and a positive proportion have infinitely many rational points.

The Guardian

for a positive proportion of.

Journal of Inequalities and Applications

If n < ∞, we know this is true because (i) switching consumers switch only once, (ii) all switchers must conduct at least one non-local search and (iii) a positive proportion of consumers search beyond their local firm yet decide not to switch.

European Economic Review

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

A study from the Rakai cohort in Uganda, reports a false positive proportion of 43.7% (129/295) with a tiebreaker algorithm of Determine/STAT-PAK®/Unigold™ at a HIV prevalence of 11.2% [ 4].

BMC Infectious Diseases

The theorems in [14] give upper bounds on c < 2 for c-chaotic, cooperative bi-quadratic Boolean networks that have a fixed positive proportion of strictly quadratic regulatory functions.

Advances in Difference Equations

Although capillary blood Pb measurements can be compromised by contamination errors during collection, the Wadsworth Center has estimated that false positive errors, defined as a false positive proportion, are typically < 5% at 10 μg/dL (Parsons et al. 1997).

Environmental Health Perspectives

After the first wave of the pandemic, the positive proportion of A(H3N2) increased, but those of B and RSV remained slightly lower than their pre-pandemic proportions.

Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control

Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were calculated (for hospital mortality), and these curves graphically describe the sensitivity of a diagnostic test (true positive proportion) vs. 1 - specificity (true negative proportion) and provide an improved measure of the overall discriminatory power of a test as they assess all possible threshold values.

Annals of Intensive Care

It is a plot between true positive proportion (TP/TP+FN) and false positive proportion (FP/FP+TN).

BMC Genomics

This higher positive proportion included a predominance of nitrituria and leucocyturia.

BMC Pediatrics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a positive proportion", ensure the context clearly defines what constitutes a 'positive' outcome or attribute. For instance, in medical research, specify if 'positive' refers to a desirable or undesirable result.

Common error

Avoid assuming that a "positive proportion" always indicates a beneficial outcome. The term 'positive' simply denotes the presence of something, not necessarily its desirability. Always clarify the nature of the 'positive' attribute in your context.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a positive proportion" functions as a determiner phrase modifying a noun. It is used to quantify a subset of a larger group, indicating that some amount greater than zero exhibits a particular characteristic. Ludwig AI confirms this usage is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

75%

News & Media

25%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a positive proportion" is a grammatically sound and usable expression to indicate that some amount greater than zero exists within a group, though Ludwig AI suggests it can be useful to indicate a favorable or advantageous ratio. While grammatically correct, the interpretation depends heavily on context. As shown in the Ludwig examples, it often appears in scientific and news contexts. It's crucial to remember that 'positive' doesn't inherently mean 'good'; it simply denotes presence. Related phrases like "substantial fraction" or "significant percentage" can provide alternative ways to express similar ideas. Always clarify what 'positive' refers to in your specific situation to avoid misinterpretations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Substantial fraction

Replaces "proportion" with "fraction", emphasizing that the amount is a part of a whole.

Significant percentage

Substitutes "proportion" with "percentage", focusing on a numerical representation of the amount.

Noticeable segment

Uses "segment" instead of "proportion", highlighting the amount as a distinct part of a larger group.

Considerable share

Replaces "proportion" with "share", indicating the amount as a portion owned or belonging to something.

Meaningful quantity

Uses "quantity" instead of "proportion", emphasizing the amount's importance or impact.

Appreciable number

Substitutes "proportion" with "number", highlighting the amount as a specific count.

Relevant portion

Replaces "proportion" with "portion", indicating the amount's relevance or connection to something.

Respectable amount

Uses "amount" instead of "proportion", emphasizing the quantity is worthy of respect or consideration.

Sizable division

Replaces "proportion" with "division", highlighting the amount as a section or part of something divided.

Notable extent

Uses "extent" instead of "proportion", emphasizing the amount's degree or range.

FAQs

How can I use "a positive proportion" in a sentence?

You can use "a positive proportion" to indicate that a noteworthy fraction of a group or sample exhibits a certain characteristic. For example: "A positive proportion of the students passed the exam."

What's the difference between "a positive proportion" and "a significant proportion"?

"A positive proportion" simply indicates that some amount greater than zero exists, while "a significant proportion" implies that the amount is large enough to be noteworthy or important.

Are there contexts where using "a positive proportion" might be misleading?

Yes, if the absolute numbers are small. Saying "a positive proportion" of patients experienced side effects might be alarming if it only represents 2 out of 1000 patients.

What are some alternatives to "a positive proportion" that I can use?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "a significant number", "a notable percentage", or "a substantial fraction".