The phrase "are gradual" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe processes or changes that occur slowly over time.
Example: "The improvements in the project are gradual, but they are becoming more noticeable each week."
Alternatives: "are incremental" or "are progressive".
But at least when it comes to Social Security, there are gradual and, yes, humane proposals available, like gradually increasing the eligibility age for full benefits and progressively reducing benefits for those whose incomes are above the median.
These are gradual steps, but they are the building blocks for a real humanitarian response.
Seasonal changes are gradual and include spring and fall overturns of water and summer and winter stratification.
When maneuvers are gradual and graceful, years may pass before neighbor Brown realizes that neighbor Smith has appropriated the leftmost three feet of her property.
We urge the Bank of England to keep official interest rates low for as long as possible, and ensure that future rate rises are gradual and modest.
Serviceable forms and familiar motifs are likely to persist, and changes are gradual in comparison to the sudden innovations possible in sophisticated art.
Boundaries between dialect areas are gradual, but in Norway the divisions are usually given as East (Lowland, Midland), Trönder (around Trondheim), North, and West.
"Under the current situation, where movements are gradual, I think it should basically be left to market mechanisms and fundamentals," he added.
There are gradual age-related decreases in the production of melatonin, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).
Because moisture absorption and release are gradual, wool is slow to feel damp and does not chill the wearer by too-rapid drying.
Water yields are gradual, reliable, and uniform, as contrasted to the rapid flows of short duration characteristic of sparsely vegetated land.
