a significant building block

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a significant building block" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an essential component or element that contributes to a larger structure or concept. Example: "Education is a significant building block for personal and professional development."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Xhaka had been recruited from Borussia Mönchengladbach to become a significant building block in that department, but a stuttering start had critics scratching their heads.

The Guardian - Sport

It should be a significant building block of your functional or leadership capability; your accomplishment of it should mean something to others in your field.

Harvard Business Review

Our overall strategy is to provide solution to various industries where content is a significant building block".

TechCrunch

APEC, like ASEAN, constitutes a significant building block for the region's deeper integration and connectivity.

HuffPost

A new comparative study adds a significant building block to the expanding body of research on how migration serves among household strategies for adapting to changing environments.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

"We see this program as another significant building block not only for our goal of enhancing the quality of public education in Brazil, but also in our partnership with Yale," said Denis Mizne, executive director of Lemann Foundation and an alumnus of the Yale World Fellows Program.

Yale University

Consider, for example, how the need for intimacy and the expression of closeness -- the significant building blocks of a partnership -- vary between partners and can cause tension.

Huffington Post

Therefore, they are considered as significant building blocks for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.

Principles of Tissue Engineering

The river's barge traffic, Ms. Burns added, "is one of the significant building blocks of our economy".

The New York Times

The amino sugars are the significant building blocks of polysaccharides found in the cell wall of most human pathogenic microorganisms.

Chemistry Central Journal

LittleBits, an "open source hardware" startup that makes electronic building blocks to design objects for work and play, has today announced the addition of two significant building blocks of its own: it has picked up $3.65 million in funding; and has signed a manufacturing deal with PCH International to scale up its business.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a significant building block" to emphasize that something is an essential and foundational component of a larger structure or concept. This highlights its importance and contribution to the overall success or completeness of the subject.

Common error

Avoid using "a significant building block" when a simpler term like "important element" or "key part" would suffice. Overusing the phrase in overly simple situations can make your writing sound pretentious or unnecessarily complex.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a significant building block" functions primarily as a noun phrase, often serving as a subject complement or object in a sentence. It identifies something as an essential and foundational component, as demonstrated in the examples from Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

33%

Academia

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a significant building block" is a phrase used to describe a fundamental and essential component of something larger. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically correct and suitable for use in written English. While applicable across various contexts, including news, science, and academia, it is best used when emphasizing the foundational role of an element. Alternatives like "a crucial element" or "a key component" can be used depending on the desired emphasis. Remember to avoid overuse in overly simplistic situations to maintain clarity and impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a crucial element

Changes the noun from "building block" to "element", emphasizing importance.

a key component

Replaces "significant" with "key" and "building block" with "component", highlighting essential contribution.

a fundamental aspect

Substitutes "building block" with "aspect", focusing on a basic feature.

an essential ingredient

Replaces "building block" with "ingredient", suggesting a necessary part of a mixture or plan.

a vital foundation

Changes "building block" to "foundation", emphasizing a base upon which something is built.

an integral part

Uses "integral part" instead of "building block", stressing the importance of being included to complete the whole.

a cornerstone

Employs "cornerstone" to denote the fundamental importance, usually for an institution or enterprise.

a basic unit

Replaces "building block" with "basic unit", highlighting the most elementary component.

a primary constituent

Uses "constituent" to suggest a component that makes up a larger whole.

a critical factor

Emphasizes the importance of the factor for success or completion.

FAQs

How can I use "a significant building block" in a sentence?

You can use "a significant building block" to describe an essential component. For example, "Education is "a significant building block" for personal and professional development."

What can I say instead of "a significant building block"?

You can use alternatives like "a crucial element", "a key component", or "a fundamental aspect" depending on the specific context.

Is it appropriate to use "a significant building block" in informal writing?

While grammatically correct, "a significant building block" is better suited for formal or semi-formal contexts. In informal writing, simpler phrases like "key part" or "important element" might be more appropriate.

What distinguishes "a significant building block" from "an important element"?

"A significant building block" implies a foundational and structural role, whereas "an important element" simply denotes something of high value or relevance. The former suggests that something is literally built upon it.