has slightly improved

USAGE SUMMARY

'has slightly improved' is correct and usable in written English.
This phrase can be used when describing a situation that has changed for the better, but not by a large degree. For example, "After months of hard work, her math scores have slightly improved."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

19 human-written examples

The electricity supply, for instance, has slightly improved in the capital city, Pyongyang, as well as on the east coast in Hamhung and Chongjin.

The Economist

The speaker, who is 34, is also likely to be tested more this year, as he and other council members try to put their stamp on a budget that has slightly improved spending opportunities.

The New York Times

Figures at the national level show that the headline measure of GCSE attainment has slightly improved since last year, with 53.8% of pupils in all schools achieving five passes of grade C or higher, including in English and maths.

The Guardian

"While press reports suggest that this situation has slightly improved, anecdotal accounts indicate that vulnerable women from migrant communities continue to be detained for illicit sexual relations, often being left to languish in jail with their newborn babies".

Independent

Pakistan has slightly improved on this corruption index but practical measures need to be taken.

International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility

PSMF has slightly improved performance but its noise removing capacity is very poor at higher noise densities.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

40 human-written examples

The drop-out rate has gone down and ACT scores have slightly improved, albeit from a very low level.

The Economist

"Talking to my colleagues, we felt at the moment that it was possible, taking into consideration his state had slightly improved, that we carried out a surgical intervention that we had not thought possible.

Independent

Such had been Leeds' form in the closing weeks of the season the Yorkshire club had become most people's favourites to go up, and rightly or wrongly, their elimination left both Dons and Scunthorpe fans believing their chances of promotion had slightly improved.

The Guardian - Sport

Findings also showed that students' results had slightly improved in the Post-test as compared to the Pre-test.

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences

These missing data were excluded from the analyses, which might have slightly improved the support for the utility of some of the visible signs.

Sports Medicine - Open

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "has slightly improved" to accurately reflect situations where there is a noticeable but not substantial positive change. Avoid exaggerating the degree of improvement.

Common error

Avoid using "has slightly improved" when the improvement is significant or transformative. Choose a stronger phrase if the change is more than just slight.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "has slightly improved" functions as a verb phrase indicating a change of state. It suggests that a subject's condition or performance has undergone a positive alteration, albeit to a limited extent. Ludwig confirms this usage across diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

31%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Wiki

12%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "has slightly improved" is a versatile verb phrase used to describe a modest positive change. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically sound and commonly found in various contexts, including science, news, and formal business settings. When using this phrase, it's crucial to ensure the degree of improvement is accurately represented, avoiding exaggeration. Consider alternatives like "has marginally progressed" or "has subtly enhanced" for nuanced variations. This phrase is suitable for neutral to formal communication and serves to convey factual information about a minor positive shift.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

has marginally progressed

Replaces 'improved' with 'progressed' and 'slightly' with 'marginally', indicating a minor advancement.

has modestly advanced

Substitutes 'improved' with 'advanced' and 'slightly' with 'modestly', suggesting a moderate step forward.

has subtly enhanced

Replaces 'improved' with 'enhanced' and 'slightly' with 'subtly', emphasizing a delicate positive change.

has somewhat bettered

Uses 'bettered' in place of 'improved' and 'somewhat' instead of 'slightly', indicating a partial enhancement.

has incrementally gained

Replaces 'improved' with 'gained' and 'slightly' with 'incrementally', emphasizing a gradual accumulation of progress.

has seen a minor upturn

Rephrases the sentence structure, using 'seen a minor upturn' to indicate a small positive change.

has experienced a mild recovery

Implies a return to a better state, using 'mild recovery' to describe a gentle improvement.

has undergone a small refinement

Replaces 'improved' with 'refinement' and 'slightly' with 'small', focusing on a subtle enhancement through fine-tuning.

has demonstrated a limited betterment

Uses 'betterment' instead of 'improvement' and 'limited' instead of 'slightly', stressing the constrained nature of the positive change.

has presented a fractional gain

Emphasizes the small degree of progress by using 'fractional gain' instead of 'slight improvement'.

FAQs

How can I use "has slightly improved" in a sentence?

You can use "has slightly improved" to describe a situation that is better than before, but not by much. For example, "The company's profits "has slightly improved" since last quarter".

What are some alternatives to "has slightly improved"?

Alternatives include "has marginally progressed", "has modestly advanced", or "has subtly enhanced", depending on the nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "has slightly improved", or should I use a different tense?

Yes, "has slightly improved" is grammatically correct. The present perfect tense indicates an action that started in the past and has relevance to the present. Other tenses might be appropriate depending on the specific context.

What's the difference between "has slightly improved" and "has significantly improved"?

"Has slightly improved" indicates a small degree of positive change, while "has significantly improved" suggests a much larger and more noticeable improvement. The choice depends on the magnitude of the change you want to describe.