a substantial read

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a substantial read" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a piece of writing that is lengthy and requires significant time or effort to read, often implying that it is also informative or thought-provoking. Example: "The report was a substantial read, filled with detailed analysis and extensive research findings."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The sense of value for money offered by a longer book used to be a consideration in the days of commercial sagas, literary agent Clare Alexander admits, and may still influence some readers today – but she says this desire for a substantial read doesn't explain the growth in the literary novel.

The Guardian - Books

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Reading-into-writing assessments on pre-sessional language programmes typically employ either a take-home essay format with a substantial reading component or an exam-based writing task with a reading component of perhaps only one or two pages.

Journal of English for Academic Purposes

Because all samples have substantial read coverage, a minimum of 160,000,000 nucleotides per sample mapped to the transcriptome, this corresponds to an average of 2.5 reads/bp for all transcripts.

eLife

There was substantial read loss during data cleanup (78.6%), which, however, did not impede the analyses, because of the large number of initial sequences (over 4Mio).

Soil Biology and Biochemistry

It does not contain a substantial open reading frame and might therefore code for a structural RNA.

BMC Genomics

Post-trimming, the percentage of mapped reads increased to 94.4%, indicating a substantial improvement of read quality.

BMC Genomics

She also revealed that her preparation involved some substantial reading.

The New York Times

As this approach requires substantial read-density, miRNA represented by few sequence reads will not be identified.

BMC Genomics

This was despite the fact that all children could read and comprehend all names in the experiment and despite substantial reading proficiency in the older children.

Brain and Language

Our preliminary studies using RE-digested DNA samples and a small number of same-length (8 bp) barcodes showed a substantial decline in read quality in multiplexed sequencing reactions compared to control DNA or other barcoded DNA samples that did not include restriction sites (data not shown).

Plosone

Considering the small size of the target region, the large number of haplotypes present, and the depth of sequencing, we expected a substantial proportion of read pairs aligning to the same location to be biological rather than PCR duplicates.

Genome Medicine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a substantial read" when you want to convey that a text requires significant time and effort to fully understand and appreciate.

Common error

Avoid using "substantial" as a generic descriptor for any long text. Reserve it for texts that are also significant in content or impact, not just in length.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a substantial read" functions as a noun phrase, where "substantial" modifies the noun "read". It describes the nature of the reading material, indicating that it is lengthy and/or requires significant effort to understand. Ludwig confirms this usage with examples showing how it's used to describe books, reports, and other documents.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

42%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

3%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a substantial read" is a grammatically correct phrase that describes a piece of writing requiring considerable time and effort to comprehend. According to Ludwig, it commonly appears in science and news contexts. While not exceptionally frequent, it's a useful phrase when you want to emphasize the depth and engagement required by a particular text. Remember to reserve its usage to texts that are not only lengthy, but also of significant content or impact. Alternative phrases such as "a significant book" or "a dense text" might be more appropriate based on the specific characteristic you want to highlight. This analysis provides practical guidance on utilizing the phrase effectively while avoiding common pitfalls.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a significant book

Focuses on the importance or impact of the book rather than its length.

a lengthy publication

Highlights the extended length of the publication.

a comprehensive study

Emphasizes the thoroughness and detail of the reading material.

an in-depth analysis

Suggests a deep and detailed exploration of a topic.

a weighty tome

Implies a heavy and serious book, often long and complex.

a major work

Highlights the importance and scale of the piece.

a dense text

Emphasizes the complexity and amount of information.

an involved article

Implies the article requires careful attention and engagement.

a considerable volume

Focuses on the physical size of the publication.

an expansive report

Highlights the broad scope and coverage of the report.

FAQs

How can I use "a substantial read" in a sentence?

You might say, "The professor assigned "a substantial read" for the weekend, requiring us to analyze complex theories."

What's a good alternative to "a substantial read" that focuses on complexity?

Consider using "a dense text" if you want to emphasize the complexity and amount of information presented.

When is it appropriate to describe something as "a substantial read"?

It's appropriate when the text is not only lengthy but also requires considerable effort to understand due to its depth, complexity, or significance.

Is "a substantial read" only used for academic material?

No, while common in academic contexts, "a substantial read" can refer to any text that demands significant time and mental effort, such as "a weighty tome" or an important report.