by postulating that

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'by postulating that' is correct and usable in written English.
It is usually used in formal contexts to introduce a statement or opinion that is based on a hypothesis or assumption. For example, "By postulating that economic growth depends on technological advances, we can understand why some countries are more prosperous than others."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

55 human-written examples

"One must begin by postulating that truth is needed for its own sake and no other reason," she said.

The New York Times

Dynamic frameworks must necessarily address the issue of metabolic regulation, which the cybernetic approach does by postulating that metabolism is an optimal dynamic response of the organism to the environment in driving reactions towards ensuring survival.

Metabolic Engineering

By postulating that consciousness is intimately connected to self-paced probing of the environment, also prominent in prokaryotic behavior, one can make mammalian neuroanatomy amenable to dramatically straightforward rationalization.

Progress in Neurobiology

This counter-intuitive phenomenon was then rationalized by postulating that rigid TSPU chain could not pack efficiently around the TiO2 nanoparticles during solvent evaporation, which resulted in polymer layer with higher free volume at the interface than the bulk polymer regions.

Polymer

These results can best be explained by postulating that, in addition to evoking seizures, kainic acid also enhances the toxic effects of seizures on CA3-CA4 neurons.

Duke University

(Carnap sought to accommodate Gödel's incompleteness results by separating analyticity from effective provability and by postulating that arithmetic consisted of an infinite series of ever richer arithmetical languages; see the discussion and references in section 3.2 below).

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

5 human-written examples

And by clearly postulating that standpoint throughout the development of the approach, the authors manage to take away concerns about the approach's limited use and answer exactly those questions they have set out to tackle.

Child Indicators Research

As expansions are replication independent and can be stimulated by MutSβ, we postulate that expansions occur through misrepair of endogenous DNA damage in this system.

Cell Research

The reason for this phenomenon was explained from fundamental thermodynamics principles by Privalov 1 who postulated that cold denaturation is mainly driven by solvation of nonpolar side chains.

ChemPhysChem

The "biodiversity-invasibility hypothesis" by Elton [7] postulates that high diversity increases the competitive environment of communities and makes them more difficult to invade.

Plosone

The results can be explained by the coherence principle which postulates that information from different media should be congruent in order to foster process fluency.

Computers in Human Behavior

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "by postulating that" to introduce a theoretical explanation or a key assumption in your argument, especially in academic or scientific writing. It adds a layer of formality and precision.

Common error

Avoid using "by postulating that" in casual or informal writing. Simpler alternatives like "assuming that" or "supposing that" are more appropriate for less formal settings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "by postulating that" functions as a prepositional phrase introducing a gerund, which in turn introduces a subordinate clause. It serves to explicitly state the underlying assumptions or hypotheses upon which an argument or explanation is built, as confirmed by Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

58%

Academia

18%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

News & Media

8%

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "by postulating that" is a formal way to introduce a hypothesis or assumption, predominantly used in academic, scientific, and technical contexts. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically sound and signals that what follows is based on a specific premise. While versatile, it's best reserved for formal settings to maintain appropriate tone and register. Remember that alternatives like "assuming that" are more suitable for informal communication. The phrase appears very frequently within scientific domains.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

hypothesizing that

This alternative is similar in formality to "by postulating that" but emphasizes the act of forming a hypothesis.

under the hypothesis that

This alternative is more formal and emphasizes the scientific nature of the hypothesis.

assuming that

This alternative is more direct and less formal than "by postulating that".

theorizing that

This alternative implies a more developed and considered assumption than "by postulating that".

on the assumption that

This alternative places more emphasis on the assumption itself.

based on the premise that

This alternative highlights the foundational nature of the assumption.

supposing that

This alternative is more tentative and less assertive than "by postulating that".

given that

This alternative suggests that something is already known or accepted.

with the understanding that

This alternative implies a mutual agreement or shared knowledge.

presuming that

This alternative suggests making an assumption in the absence of complete information.

FAQs

How can I use "by postulating that" in a sentence?

You can use "by postulating that" to introduce a hypothesis or assumption that serves as the basis for an argument or explanation. For instance, "By postulating that the universe is expanding, we can explain the redshift of distant galaxies."

What phrases are similar to "by postulating that"?

Similar phrases include "assuming that", "hypothesizing that", or "theorizing that", depending on the level of formality and the specific nuance you want to convey.

When is it appropriate to use "by postulating that"?

It's appropriate in formal writing, such as academic papers or scientific reports, when you need to clearly state a foundational assumption upon which your argument rests. In less formal contexts, consider using simpler alternatives.

Is "by postulating that" interchangeable with "assuming that"?

While both introduce assumptions, "by postulating that" is more formal and often used when introducing a significant theoretical concept. "Assuming that" is more general and can be used in a wider range of contexts.