unclear article

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "unclear article" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an article that lacks clarity or is difficult to understand. Example: "The editor noted that the unclear article needed revisions to improve its readability."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The relation of technological progression to consent, however, remains unclear (Article 29 Data Protection Working Party 2007a).

Life Sciences, Society and Policy

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Whether his open-mindedness extends to politics is still unclear (see article).

The Economist

The precise reasons are unclear, the article said, but it is believed that biology -- such as how the liver absorbs and the body processes medication -- plays a large role.

The New York Times

M. Adrian Mattocks Charlotte, N.C., June 25 , 2009• To the Editor: The seemingly generous offer by drug companies to discount brand-name drugs to Medicare beneficiaries ("Federal Saving From Lowering of Drug Prices Is Unclear," news article, June 23) should be viewed by policy makers with caution.

The New York Times

For reasons that are unclear, the article indicated that Hogan claimed to round the bases in 1889, six earlier than other reports.

Wikipedia

However, articles where classification was initially unclear and articles classified as "not consistent" were always checked by a second reviewer; by minimising the number of wrong allocations to this category we thus consider our findings to be conservative.

BMC Medical Research Methodology

It is unclear why the article gives the impression that the Russian Orthodox Church is outside of Kremlin control.

The New York Times

Ideal timing for skill retention testing is unclear, and recent article on simulation education methods was unable to establish recommended time frames for such retention assessments [22].

Critical Ultrasound Journal

It Sadly Unclear Whether This Article Will Put Lives At Risk http://t.co/RZgoCOpNiL pic.twitter.com/ZCrj2Wp3rJ.

Huffington Post

Criteria 1 and 2 were categorized as the following: (1) "Yes"; (2) "No", when it was specified that the criteria was not used; (3) "Unclear", when the article did not mentioned the criteria.

Plosone

It was unclear from one article [ 38] which approach was used.

BMC Medical Research Methodology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing an article as "unclear article", specify what aspects are unclear to provide constructive feedback.

Common error

Avoid stating that an entire article is an "unclear article" without identifying specific sections or arguments that are confusing. Pinpointing the problem areas helps improve understanding.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "unclear article" functions as an adjective-noun construction, where "unclear" modifies the noun "article". This construction serves to categorize or describe a particular piece of writing as lacking in clarity or being difficult to understand, as supported by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

30%

News & Media

30%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Social Media

10%

Reference

10%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "unclear article" is a grammatically correct but relatively rare phrase used to describe a written piece lacking clarity. As Ludwig confirms, the phrase serves to categorize an article as difficult to understand. It is employed in neutral contexts, particularly in science and news media, with authoritative sources like The New York Times and The Guardian using the phrase. While grammatically sound, specifying the specific reasons for the lack of clarity can make the feedback more constructive. Alternative phrases like "ambiguous article" or "vague article" can be used depending on the specific issue.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

ambiguous article

Replaces "unclear" with "ambiguous", indicating a lack of clarity due to multiple possible interpretations.

vague article

Replaces "unclear" with "vague", suggesting a lack of precision or detail.

incomprehensible article

Replaces "unclear" with "incomprehensible", implying the article is difficult or impossible to understand.

confusing article

Replaces "unclear" with "confusing", highlighting the article's tendency to bewilder the reader.

article lacking clarity

Rephrases the concept to emphasize the absence of clarity in the article.

article with ambiguities

Highlights the presence of multiple possible interpretations within the article.

opaque article

Uses "opaque" instead of "unclear", suggesting the article is difficult to see through or understand.

article that is difficult to understand

Expands the phrase to explicitly state the difficulty in comprehending the article.

poorly written article

Shifts the focus to the writing quality, implying that the lack of clarity is due to poor writing.

article needing clarification

Indicates that the article requires further explanation to become clear.

FAQs

How can I use "unclear article" in a sentence?

You can use "unclear article" to describe a piece of writing that is difficult to understand. For example, "The professor marked the essay down because it was an unclear article and lacked supporting evidence."

What can I say instead of "unclear article"?

Alternatives to "unclear article" include "ambiguous article", "vague article", or "confusing article", depending on the specific reason for the lack of clarity.

Is it better to say "unclear article" or "article lacking clarity"?

Both "unclear article" and "article lacking clarity" are grammatically correct and can be used interchangeably. The choice often depends on personal preference and the overall tone of the writing.

What makes an article an "unclear article"?

An article might be considered an "unclear article" due to several factors, such as poor organization, ambiguous language, lack of supporting evidence, or failure to define key terms.