thing too small

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "thing too small" is not correct in standard written English as it lacks clarity and context.
It could be used in informal contexts, but it would typically need additional words for clarity, such as "a thing that is too small." Example: "This is a thing too small to be useful in our project."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

"She is the tiniest thing, too small for most houses, so she hadn't sold".

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

We have multiple identities and networks, both local and global, and our rights are protected by international human rights treaties – the nation state, as the political cliche has it, is too big for most of the local things that matter, too small for most of the big international things, such as climate change and nuclear proliferation.

The Guardian - Books

His English contemporary, Robert Hooke, published "Micrographia" in 1665, full of drawings of things too small to see with the naked eye, such as a flea's amour-like plating and the compound eyes of a fly.

The Economist

There are parts of things too small to observe by means of unaided sense; there are things too far to be seen by unaided sense; and there are things, such as the inside of unopened oranges, that we do not see but which we would see were we to do certain things, e.g., cut open the orange.

SEP

(They might rat on you, or choke on things too small).

WikiHow

There is no such thing as too small of an audience, but there is such thing as choosing greed over passion, and in doing so, perpetuating a stigma that should not exist.

Huffington Post

"Maybe this thing is too small for them, for what they are doing".

The New York Times

Spin-offs make sense because there are too many firms doing the same thing on too small a scale, and the need to finance new fabs is a drag on the firms' main businesses.

The Economist

Faraway things are too small to make out".

The Guardian - Books

A lovely thing, but much too small to keep.

The New Yorker

First it was held that there were things which were too large, and things which were too small to be imagined, that is, imaged.

SEP

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing something as undersized, consider replacing "thing too small" with grammatically correct alternatives like "item that is too small" or "undersized object".

Common error

Avoid using "thing too small" without proper context. Ensure the sentence clearly indicates what "thing" refers to, or use a more specific noun.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "thing too small" functions primarily as a descriptive phrase. It aims to characterize a noun, often needing context to clarify which noun it is modifying. It's a rudimentary way to describe something that lacks adequate size.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "thing too small" is generally considered grammatically incorrect and is best avoided in formal contexts. It aims to describe something as being inadequately sized, but lacks necessary grammatical elements for clarity. As Ludwig AI highlights, the phrase would typically need additional words for clarity. While examples can be found in news, scientific articles, and wikis, more grammatically sound alternatives like "a thing that is too small" or "item too small" are recommended for clearer and more professional communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

item too small

Replaces "thing" with a more specific term, focusing on objects or articles.

object too small

Similar to "item too small", but emphasizes physical entities.

insufficiently sized thing

Uses more formal language to indicate inadequate size.

inadequately small item

Reorders the phrase and uses "inadequately" to modify "small".

too small of an item

Adds 'of an' to create grammatical structure.

a thing that is too small

Adds "that is" to create a relative clause, improving grammatical correctness.

something too small

Replaces "thing" with "something" to make it more general.

undersized thing

Uses a single word to convey the meaning of being too small.

thing that's undersized

Uses 'that's' instead of 'is' and replace small with undersized

thing that is diminutive

Substitute 'small' with 'diminutive'.

FAQs

Is "thing too small" grammatically correct?

No, "thing too small" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. A more appropriate phrasing would be "a thing that is too small" or "item too small".

What are some alternatives to saying "thing too small"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "object too small", "undersized thing", or "inadequately small item".

How can I use "thing too small" correctly in a sentence?

While not standard, you can use "thing too small" informally if the context makes the meaning clear. However, it's better to say "This is a "thing that is too small" for the job."

What's the difference between "thing too small" and "too small of a thing"?

"Too small of a thing" is a more complete and grammatically acceptable way to express that something is insufficiently sized, while "thing too small" lacks the necessary articles and prepositions for standard English.