be hardly significant

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "be hardly significant" is not correct in standard English.
The correct form would be "hardly significant" without "be." Example: "The changes made to the policy are hardly significant and will not affect the overall outcome."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

In the context of her overall campaign, the contributions are hardly significant.

The Washington Post

The effect of imitation on landscapes is limited to the extent of being hardly significant.

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment

But in truth Mr. Awlaki is hardly significant in terms of American security.

The New York Times

But taken in the context of the dozens of strikes that Russia carries out daily, the three missile attacks were hardly significant.

The New York Times

With as many as six million domestic flights in any given year by the reporting carriers, an increase of 23 cancellations is hardly significant.

The New York Times

"For those who question the level of the de minimis, we considered the threshold in the context of an overall $300 trillion notional swaps market," he said, noting that $8 billion was hardly significant amid this huge market.

The New York Times

Stem diameter, root length, leaf chlorophyll content, and root DM reduced with increasing compost concentration but were hardly significant.

International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture

Though a $90,000 book contract is hardly significant in a nation where embezzlement by government officials may run into the billions, it was the opening his enemies had sought.

Forbes

However, in the specific case of the campaign described in this paper, this adjustment is hardly significant, being at most 0.9 K when considering the maximum altitude difference between stations, that is between CJKT (13 m) and BAK2 (150 m), which corresponds to about 0.16 mm in PWV. Figure 5 shows the 21 radiosonde-derived PWV values and the time series of GPS-derived PWV using BAKO station.

Progress in Earth and Planetary Science

At the end of the day, it's not insignificant, but it's hardly significant.

Huffington Post

The exact relationship is hardly significant, but in any case it seems unlikely that the overall rate of protein synthesis would be adjusted to meet the needs of a single protein, and it is up to pEA to bridge this gap.

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "be hardly significant" in formal writing. Opt for grammatically standard alternatives like "is hardly significant" or "is not very significant."

Common error

Ensure the verb "to be" is correctly conjugated and follows subject-verb agreement rules. The correct form is usually "is hardly significant", "are hardly significant", or "was hardly significant", depending on the subject.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "be hardly significant" functions as a predicate adjective, describing the subject as lacking importance or impact. However, it's grammatically suspect as noted by Ludwig. It needs a conjugated "to be" verb.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "be hardly significant" is flagged by Ludwig as grammatically incorrect. The correct construction requires a conjugated form of the verb "to be" (e.g., "is", "are", "was"). Although alternatives such as "be barely significant" or "be not very significant" exist, adhering to standard grammar is crucial for clear communication. When aiming to express that something lacks importance or impact, ensure the grammatical correctness of your phrasing. Remember that Ludwig emphasizes proper grammatical form. As such, careful attention to verb conjugation will ensure clarity and credibility in writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

be barely significant

Substitutes "hardly" with "barely", indicating a slight change in the degree of insignificance.

be scarcely significant

Replaces "hardly" with "scarcely", offering a more formal tone but similar meaning.

be not very significant

Uses a more direct and common way of expressing a lack of significance.

be of little significance

Emphasizes the "significance" as the focal point, rather than the degree.

be of minor importance

Shifts from "significance" to "importance", slightly altering the nuance.

be almost insignificant

Highlights the near-complete lack of significance.

be essentially trivial

Replaces "significant" with "trivial", indicating a lack of importance.

be practically negligible

Uses "negligible" to emphasize the minimal impact or effect.

be not particularly important

A more verbose but equally valid way of expressing a lack of importance.

be not a major factor

Focuses on the lack of influence or contribution.

FAQs

Is "be hardly significant" grammatically correct?

No, "be hardly significant" is not grammatically correct. The correct form requires a conjugated form of "to be", such as "is", "are", or "was", depending on the subject.

What are some alternatives to "be hardly significant"?

You can use alternatives such as "be barely significant", "be scarcely significant", or "be not very significant".

How to use "is hardly significant" in a sentence?

Example: "The difference between the two options is hardly significant." This indicates that the difference is minimal or unimportant.

What is the difference between "is hardly significant" and "is not significant"?

"Is hardly significant" implies a slightly greater degree of insignificance than "is not significant". "Hardly" adds emphasis to the lack of importance.