it was not sensitive enough

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it was not sensitive enough" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing the inadequacy of a response, tool, or system in terms of sensitivity or responsiveness. Example: "The feedback from the survey indicated that the system was not sensitive enough to detect subtle changes in user behavior."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

But Ochen, whose own father and brother were abducted by Kony's Lord's Resistance Army LRAA), said on Wednesday: "Reacting to the film, there was a strong sense that the video was definitely not produced for an African audience, and that it was not sensitive enough to the victims.

The Guardian

With the G# reference, it was not sensitive enough to detect differences between the various mappings being investigated.

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

However, although the antibody was shown to detect PINK1 in transfected cells [23], it was not sensitive enough to reveal the much lower levels of endogenous PINK1, because no specific bands of either 66 kDa (mitochondrial PINK1) or 55 kDa (cytosolic PINK1) were observed in any of the wildtype tissues and cells tested (data not shown).

Plosone

One limitation of our survey is that it was not sensitive enough to distinguish between an increase in resistance predating the ban from any additional resistance temporally associated with the ban or thought to be related to the ban.

Environmental Health Perspectives

As observed with the majority of the instruments evaluating consumers' satisfaction, our instrument was able to identify women with the lowest levels of satisfaction, but it was not sensitive enough to discriminate the levels of satisfaction in satisfied women.

BMC Health Services Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

"It is clear to me that in this case, I was not sensitive enough to my concern for the taxpayer.

Huffington Post

However, it is not sensitive enough to delineate the boundary of tumor clearly.

Nanoscale Research Letters

Meanwhile, CBCT [9, 10] represented the most commonly used technique to evaluate the thickness of the membrane, but it is not sensitive enough to detect minor perforations.

International Journal of Implant Dentistry

Northern blotting is capable of detecting pre- and mature miRNAs simultaneously, but it is not sensitive enough to validate the low-abundance miRNAs, as well as its poor throughput.

Plosone

Surveillance of dog body condition score (BCS) is a routine practice but it is not sensitive enough.

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

CT treatment response is limited to anatomical changes and it is not sensitive enough to depict functional changes.

European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "it was not sensitive enough", ensure that the context clearly specifies what "it" refers to and what the required level of sensitivity should be. For example, "The instrument was not sensitive enough to detect trace amounts of the substance".

Common error

Avoid using "it was not sensitive enough" without a clear antecedent for "it". Ensure your reader knows exactly what you're referring to, or the statement becomes meaningless.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it was not sensitive enough" functions as a statement expressing the inadequacy of something in terms of its ability to detect or respond to subtle changes or variations. This is confirmed by Ludwig, which provides examples from various sources.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

85%

News & Media

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "it was not sensitive enough" is a grammatically correct expression used to describe the inadequacy of something to detect subtle changes or variations. According to Ludwig, it is most commonly found in scientific and technical contexts, where precise measurement and detection are crucial. While not extremely frequent, its meaning is clear and its usage is consistent. When using this phrase, ensure the context clearly identifies what "it" refers to and what level of sensitivity is required. Consider alternatives like "it lacked sufficient sensitivity" for a more formal tone.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it lacked sufficient sensitivity

Replaces "was not sensitive enough" with "lacked sufficient sensitivity", maintaining the same meaning with slightly more formal language.

it was insufficiently sensitive

Uses the adverb "insufficiently" instead of "not sensitive enough", creating a more concise and direct statement.

it did not have the required sensitivity

Emphasizes the absence of a necessary level of sensitivity.

it wasn't adequately responsive

Focuses on the lack of adequate responsiveness, which is closely related to sensitivity.

it failed to detect subtle differences

Highlights the inability to discern subtle variations, implying a lack of sensitivity.

its resolution was inadequate

Specifically addresses the inadequacy of resolution, often used in technical contexts.

it was not fine-tuned enough

Suggests the need for better calibration or adjustment to achieve the desired sensitivity.

it missed crucial nuances

Implies a failure to capture important details due to a lack of sensitivity.

it proved too coarse-grained

Indicates that the level of detail or precision was too broad, resulting in a lack of sensitivity.

the method was not discerning enough

Focuses on the lack of discernment of the method itself.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "it was not sensitive enough" to sound more formal?

Consider using phrases such as "it lacked sufficient sensitivity" or "it was insufficiently sensitive" for a more formal tone.

What does "not sensitive enough" mean in a scientific context?

In scientific writing, "not sensitive enough" typically means that a method, instrument, or assay is unable to detect or differentiate small changes or low levels of a substance. For example, "The ELISA assay "was not sensitive enough" to measure IL-23 in serum".

Is it better to say "sensitive enough" or "sufficiently sensitive"?

Both phrases are grammatically correct and convey the same meaning. "Sufficiently sensitive" may sound slightly more formal, but the choice depends on the context and desired tone.

What are common issues when a measure "was not sensitive enough"?

Typical problems are that the measure is not able to detect minor changes, statistically significant fold changes, to discriminate between different levels of user satisfaction, or distinguish between similar populations. In these cases more accurate methods are required.