small sign of progress

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "small sign of progress" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate a minor improvement or advancement in a situation or project. Example: "After weeks of hard work, we finally saw a small sign of progress in our research results."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

January brought the first small sign of progress.

The New York Times

Today, American officials invited reporters to tour a refurbished zoo, reduced during the war to an expanse of nearly empty cages, as one small sign of progress.

The New York Times

At one checkpoint on the road to Bashiqa, near where the governor was stopped, there is a small sign of progress.

The New York Times

However embarrassing, such scrutiny is no small sign of progress in a region that still needs to clean up its politics.

The Economist

"But given their countries' combustible history — and the ever present danger of even worse — the first visit to India by a Pakistani head of state in seven years was another small sign of progress".

The New York Times

On a recent morning, a ceremony at the United Nations cantonment that houses the Maoist Fourth Division underscored the uncertainty ahead, even if it was a small sign of progress.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Still there are small signs of progress.

The New York Times

John Holmes, the undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs, said he could report only "small signs of progress".

The New York Times

There were small signs of progress on Monday.. Water was restored to some buildings.

The New York Times

The first round of reality easily dashes such hope, but in Albany this year, there are some small signs of progress.

The New York Times

It's now one month since Typhoon Haiyan and there are small signs of progress mixed with reminders of the scale of the disaster and the challenges ahead.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "small sign of progress" to temper expectations when reporting on improvements that are not substantial or transformative. For example, "The ceasefire is a small sign of progress, but significant challenges remain."

Common error

Avoid overstating the impact of a "small sign of progress". Ensure your description accurately reflects the limited scope of the advancement to maintain credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "small sign of progress" functions as a noun phrase that typically acts as a subject complement or an object in a sentence. It describes something that indicates a limited degree of improvement or advancement. Ludwig AI confirms its acceptability and usage.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

76%

Formal & Business

12%

Science

12%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "small sign of progress" is a grammatically correct and usable expression that indicates a minor improvement or advancement in a given situation. Ludwig AI confirms this assessment. It's commonly used in news and media and formal business contexts to convey a tempered sense of optimism, avoiding overstatement of impact. While several alternative phrases exist, such as "slight indication of improvement" or "minor step forward", it's important to use this expression accurately to prevent exaggeration. The phrase's frequency is uncommon, appearing in approximately 7 instances in the analyzed data. Ensure the source material and expert rating reflect quality content when conveying factual improvement with due diligence.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

slight indication of improvement

Replaces "sign" with "indication" and "progress" with "improvement", emphasizing the minor nature of the positive change.

minor step forward

Uses a more metaphorical term, "step forward", to represent progress, while retaining the sense of something small.

modest advancement

Employs "advancement" instead of "progress" and "modest" to convey the limited scale of the improvement.

limited degree of progress

Expresses progress with a quantified adjective clarifying the size.

marginal improvement

Focuses solely on the improvement aspect, specifying it as "marginal" to show its small impact.

early glimmer of hope

Shifts the focus to the hopeful aspect of the progress, framing it as just a "glimmer".

faint ray of optimism

Similar to the previous phrase, highlights the positive outlook, describing it as a "faint ray".

initial positive development

Replaces "progress" with a more general term, "development", specifying it as "positive" and "initial".

baby steps toward success

Indicates the progress is very early and minor, using the expression "baby steps".

hint of forward movement

Focuses on the action of moving forward, but emphasizing it is only a "hint".

FAQs

How can I use "small sign of progress" in a sentence?

You can use "small sign of progress" to indicate a minor improvement or advancement in a situation. For example, "The recent policy changes represent a "small sign of progress" in addressing climate change."

What can I say instead of "small sign of progress"?

You can use alternatives like "slight indication of improvement", "minor step forward", or "modest advancement" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "little sign of progress" instead of "small sign of progress"?

While both are grammatically correct, "little sign of progress" might imply an almost negligible or barely perceptible improvement, whereas "small sign of progress" suggests a definite, though limited, improvement.

What's the difference between "small sign of progress" and "major breakthrough"?

"Small sign of progress" indicates a minor improvement, while "major breakthrough" suggests a significant and impactful advancement or discovery. They represent vastly different scales of progress.