a too lengthy

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a too lengthy" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct form would be "too lengthy" without the article "a." Example: "The report was too lengthy for the time we had to present it."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Encyclopedias

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

In the aeronautical field, where sheet metal press-formed structures are produced in small series, a too lengthy and costly development phase cannot be accepted; the small number of components not allowing the investments depreciation.

Materials & Design

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

(Price's lack of familiarity with the entertainment business is revealed in a too-lengthy digression about intellectual-property suits brought against the company; such suits follow successful entertainment businesses the way seagulls trail fishing boats).

The New York Times - Books

And, after a not too lengthy correspondence, Queen Christina offered Descartes a position in her court.

SEP

More often than not, however, TLDR is used as a snippy riposte to a piece deemed too lengthy for digital.

The Guardian

Although perceived as being easy to complete a few participants felt they were a little onerous, making comments such as 'they were perhaps, perhaps a little bit too lengthy maybe.' Some indicated that they failed to complete all the paperwork on the designated days.

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

The Speaker issued his rebuke to McVey after deciding her answer to a question was too lengthy.

The Guardian

However, the requirement for indexing could actually indicate that a video is too lengthy.

BMC Medical Education

He considered the alternative of developing an entirely new series to be too lengthy a process, and regarded reviving Jonathan Creek as the "safe decision".

Wikipedia

However, none of these findings fulfilled the criteria of assessing AD caregiver burden for various reasons such as inability to implement the instrument in a clinical trial setting, inappropriate questions, too lengthy of an instrument, and not a self-administered instrument.

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

However, it was felt that it would be too lengthy a process to ask a child to rank the order of levels for each of the 11 possible items in the draft questionnaire.

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

If you have too lengthy a build up before the race itself, I suspect a lot of viewers decide not to tune in until the race gets underway.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "a too lengthy" in formal writing. Instead, use alternatives like "too lengthy", "excessively lengthy", or "overly lengthy" to maintain grammatical correctness and clarity.

Common error

The phrase "a too lengthy" incorrectly includes the article "a" before "too". Remember that "too" functions as an adverb modifying "lengthy", and does not require an article in this context. Always omit the "a" for grammatically correct usage.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a too lengthy" functions as an adjective phrase that attempts to describe something as excessively long. However, its grammatical structure is non-standard. Ludwig AI indicates that the correct form omits the article 'a'.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

24%

Science

22%

Wiki

12%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

7%

Academia

7%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a too lengthy" is generally considered grammatically incorrect in standard written English. Ludwig AI confirms this, suggesting that the correct form omits the article "a", resulting in "too lengthy". While examples exist across various sources, including news, science, and wiki content, the grammatical issue makes it unsuitable for formal writing. Alternatives like "excessively long" or "overly long" provide grammatically sound ways to express the same idea. When aiming for clarity and professionalism, stick to these alternatives rather than using the non-standard "a too lengthy".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

excessively long

Replaces "too lengthy" with a more standard adverb-adjective combination, omitting the article "a".

overly long

Similar to "excessively long", offering another grammatically correct alternative.

unduly prolonged

Conveys the sense of being unnecessarily extended in time.

excessive in length

Rephrases the concept to emphasize the length aspect.

inordinately long

Uses a more formal tone to express excessive length.

unnecessarily lengthy

Highlights the lack of necessity for the length.

protracted unnecessarily

Focuses on the act of prolonging something beyond what is needed.

long-winded

A more idiomatic expression for something that is too lengthy.

tediously long

Emphasizes the boring or tiresome aspect of the length.

drawn out

Implies the length is stretched beyond what is interesting or useful.

FAQs

Is "a too lengthy" grammatically correct?

No, the phrase "a too lengthy" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. The correct phrasing is "too lengthy", omitting the article "a".

What are some alternatives to "a too lengthy"?

You can use alternatives such as "excessively long", "overly long", or simply "too lengthy".

When is it appropriate to use "a too lengthy"?

It's generally not appropriate to use "a too lengthy" in formal or standard English. While you might encounter it in informal contexts, it's best to use grammatically correct alternatives for clarity and professionalism.

How can I avoid making mistakes with phrases like "too lengthy"?

Pay attention to the grammatical function of "too". It usually modifies an adjective or adverb directly, without needing an article. Using "too lengthy" instead of "a too lengthy" avoids this common error.