small excerpt

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "small excerpt" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a brief portion or passage taken from a larger text or document. Example: "In her essay, she included a small excerpt from the novel to illustrate her point."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

18 human-written examples

Below is a small excerpt.

The Guardian

What remains are some 700 paintings and drawings, of which the show is a small excerpt.

The New York Times

Herewith, a small excerpt from her book "Strange Relation: A Memoir of Dementia, Caregiving, and Poetry," published last year.

The New York Times

A small excerpt of that story appears in the pages that follow, and I hope you will find it as charming and disarming as we do.

The New York Times

The difference is that, in this feature, we'll spotlight just a small excerpt to help learners take a close-up look at how various kinds of informational text "work".

The New York Times

You use a very small excerpt of a factual work, for example, one or two lines from a news report, for purposes of commentary, criticism, scholarship, research, or news reporting.

Stanford University

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

In previous explorations of "The Thing I Am," reporters were sometimes limited to reading or reproducing small excerpts of the work.

The Washington Post

Mr. Verba says he believes that showing small excerpts helps direct readers to books they would not know about otherwise, and could help spur sales.

The New York Times

But the court nonetheless wrote an opinion suggesting that such material could almost never be used, even in small excerpts, without permission.

The New York Times

Google wants to ensure only small excerpts from the copyrighted material appear online _ snippets that the company believes fall under "fair use" protections of U.S. law.

The Washington Post

She played the song two more times, and by the end she had added "Small excerpts!," "Range!," "Your decision/impulse," and "Make it make sense".

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "small excerpt" to clearly indicate that you are only presenting a limited portion of a larger text, signaling to your audience that there is more context available.

Common error

Avoid using "small excerpt" to introduce a piece of information that is critical to understanding the whole subject, as it may downplay its importance and mislead the reader.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "small excerpt" functions as a noun phrase, where 'small' is an adjective modifying the noun 'excerpt'. It introduces a limited portion of a larger work, as evidenced by Ludwig examples.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

44%

Science

22%

Academia

13%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "small excerpt" is a commonly used and grammatically sound expression to denote a brief portion of a larger text. As Ludwig AI indicates, it is suitable for various contexts, with particularly high usage in news and media, scientific, and academic writing. When using "small excerpt", it's important to ensure that the selected portion is representative and doesn't misrepresent the overall context of the original work. Consider alternatives like "brief selection" or "short passage" to add variety to your writing. Avoid overstating the importance of a "small excerpt" when it doesn't accurately reflect the complete subject.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

small portion

Replaces 'excerpt' with a more general term for a part.

brief selection

Emphasizes the act of choosing a short portion.

small piece

Uses a more generic term ('piece') instead of 'excerpt'.

short passage

Focuses on a segment of text.

brief segment

Similar to 'short passage' but uses 'segment'.

limited segment

Highlights the restricted size of the portion.

concise selection

Highlights the succinctness of the chosen material.

shortened version

Suggests the excerpt is a reduced form of the original.

abridged section

Implies that the excerpt is a condensed part.

tiny fragment

Emphasizes the extremely small size of the selected piece.

FAQs

How can I use "small excerpt" in a sentence?

You can use "small excerpt" to introduce a brief portion of a text, such as: "The article includes a "small excerpt" from the author's upcoming book.".

What are some alternatives to "small excerpt"?

You can use alternatives like "brief selection", "short passage", or "small portion" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "small excerpt" in formal writing?

Yes, "small excerpt" is appropriate for formal writing when you need to refer to a brief selection from a larger text. Its use is widespread across various contexts.

What's the difference between "small excerpt" and "summary"?

A "small excerpt" is a direct quotation from the original text, while a "summary" is a condensed version of the main points in your own words.