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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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they're significant

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

23 human-written examples

But it's important to know what the limits are, because they're significant.

The differences between the happiest and least happy cities aren't huge, but they're significant.

Even allowing for leading questions and discomfort unrelated to technology, they're significant numbers.

News & Media

Independent

"These are not as dramatic as the foundational moments," Mr. Kennedy said, "but they're significant changes".

News & Media

The New York Times

"The challenges are real, they're significant and I lose sleep over them," he told me.

News & Media

The New York Times

"It's a strange situation because all of these products individually are tiny, but collectively, they're significant," he said.

News & Media

The New York Times
Show more...

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

37 human-written examples

Still, they are significant.

News & Media

The New York Times

Nevertheless they are significant players in militancy.

News & Media

The Guardian

They are significant losses in our schools".

News & Media

The Guardian

They were significant years for the series.

Though small, it said, they are significant.

News & Media

The Guardian
Show more...

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In formal research papers or legal documents, avoid the contraction and write "<a href="/s/they+are+significant" target="_blank" rel="alternative">they are significant" to maintain a professional tone.

Common error

Do not confuse "they're significant" with 'their significant'. The first is a contraction of 'they are', while the second implies possession. For example, 'their significant findings' refers to findings belonging to them, whereas "they're significant" means the subjects themselves hold importance.

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

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

92%

Authority and reliability

4.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase "they're significant" functions as a subject-verb-complement structure where the contracted verb 'are' links the plural pronoun 'they' to the predicative adjective 'significant'. According to Ludwig AI, this construction is used to attribute a specific quality (importance or scale) to a previously mentioned plural noun.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Science

15%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Social Media

5%

Formal & Business

3%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "they're significant" is a versatile and common expression used to highlight the importance of a plural subject. Analysis from Ludwig AI indicates that it is most frequently employed in News & Media to add weight to findings, changes, or challenges. While it is grammatically correct and widely accepted in most professional contexts, writers should remain cautious of the homophone 'their' and consider using the full form "<a href="/s/they+are+significant" target="_blank" rel="alternative">they are significant" in high-level academic or technical papers. Its primary role is to serve as a concise evaluative statement that bridges a subject with its impact or relevance.

FAQs

How do I use "they're significant" in a sentence?

You can use it to evaluate a plural subject, such as: "The differences between the two groups were small, but "they're significant" in the context of this study."

Is it better to say "they're significant" or "they are significant"?

It depends on the context; "<a href="/s/they+are+significant" target="_blank" rel="alternative">they are significant" is preferred for formal writing, while "they're significant" is standard for conversation and news media.

What is a more formal way to say "they're significant"?

You can use "<a href="/s/they+are+consequential" target="_blank" rel="alternative">they are consequential" or "<a href="/s/they+are+of+considerable+importance" target="_blank" rel="alternative">they are of considerable importance".

Does "they're significant" imply statistical significance?

Not necessarily; in general writing, it often means 'important' or 'noteworthy', but in a scientific context, it specifically refers to results that are unlikely to have occurred by chance.

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Source & Trust

92%

Authority and reliability

4.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences: