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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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changes was below

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "changes was below" is not correct in English.
Did you mean "changes were below"? If this is the case, you can use it to describe a situation where modifications or alterations are positioned lower than a certain point or reference in a text or data set. Example: "The report indicated that the changes were below the expected levels of performance."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Furthermore, the number of significant endogenous metabolite changes was below or at the false positive rate for all treatments in both sexes.

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Protein measurement showed also a slightly reduced level of p16 in MM-BMMSCs but this change was below 1.5-fold.

Science

BMC Cancer

Based on earlier meta-analysis (Hendry and Kinnison 1999; Kinnison and Hendry 2001; Hendry et al. 2008), these authors conclude that most rates of change are below 0.1.

But under this proposal, plants could make whatever changes they wanted without scrutiny, as long as the cost of the changes were below a certain level.

News & Media

The New York Times

Some reactions to the new Facebook changes are below.

News & Media

Huffington Post

In NaphS2, both gene and protein expression levels of BamB-I are increased during benzoate metabolism and decreased during naphthalene metabolism, although some expression fold changes were below 2-fold.

Science

Plosone

After EQAPs, 73% 84% of the changes were below the baseline.

Moreover, metabolomics changes were below the threshold of effects.

bThe detected absorbance changes were below 0.02 absThe activities were too low for reliable quantification.

Some control experiments were carried out with 5 s relaxation delay and the observed peak volume changes were below 5%%.

Despite the use of highly sensitive assays for DNA damage responses, it remains possible that genetic changes are induced by low dose-rate radiation, but that such changes are below the limits of detection for the assays used.

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Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always ensure verb agreement. Use "changes were below" instead of "changes was below" to maintain grammatical correctness.

Common error

Avoid using the singular verb form "was" with the plural subject "changes". Always use the plural verb form "were" for correct grammar.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

82%

Authority and reliability

1.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase "changes was below" is intended to function as a descriptive statement, indicating that certain alterations or modifications did not exceed a particular level or threshold. However, it is grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI flags it, indicating the verb-subject disagreement.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

70%

News & Media

20%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "changes was below" is grammatically incorrect due to the subject-verb disagreement. The correct form is "changes were below". While Ludwig examples show the phrase appearing in varied contexts, including scientific and news sources, it's crucial to use the accurate grammatical form in writing. This ensures clarity and credibility. As Ludwig AI indicates, the incorrect conjugation detracts from the message. The related phrases, such as "changes were less than", offer grammatically sound alternatives for conveying the intended meaning.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "changes was below"?

The grammatically correct way to phrase this is "changes were below". The plural subject "changes" requires the plural verb "were".

What does it mean when "changes were below" a certain level?

It means that the amount or extent of the changes did not reach or exceed a specified threshold. For example, "The "changes were less than expected"".

Can I use "change was below" instead of "changes was below"?

Yes, but it changes the meaning. "Change was below" uses the singular noun "change" and refers to a single alteration, while "changes were below" refers to multiple alterations.

What are some alternatives to saying "changes were below"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "modifications were under", "alterations were beneath", or "variations were within".

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Source & Trust

82%

Authority and reliability

1.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences: