How to use "a unremarkable"

What Does "a unremarkable" Mean?

• Meaning of the collocation or phrasal verb 'Unremarkable' means not particularly interesting or surprising; ordinary. Thus, "a unremarkable" describes something lacking distinction or worth noting.
• Whether meaning is compositional or semi-idiomatic The meaning is compositional. The adjective 'unremarkable' directly modifies the noun it precedes.
• Register: formal / informal / neutral Neutral

How to Use It

• Grammatical pattern: adjective + noun
• Typical objects, complements, or prepositions that follow: The phrase "a unremarkable" is most often followed by a noun that the adjective is describing (e.g., "a unremarkable event").
• Can the components be separated? (for phrasal verbs) No, 'unremarkable' is an adjective and cannot be separated from the noun it modifies.
• What sounds unnatural: wrong verb, wrong preposition, wrong object It sounds unnatural to use 'a unremarkable' with uncountable nouns (e.g., "a unremarkable beauty") or without a noun following the adjective (e.g., "It was a unremarkable.").

Real-World Examples

These examples are sourced from a unremarkable on Ludwig.guru.

"This would be a unremarkable segment of a crime film, had DVS – real name Courtney Hutchinson, from Brixton, south London – not been charged with the torture and rape of a woman in February of this year." — Vice

"It travels beside a wall, an unremarkable gray strip with a bit of sheen." — The New York Times - Sports

"An unhappy child from an unremarkable family in an unremarkable village grows up to be an author of genius." — The Guardian - Opinion

"In a way, it is an unremarkable tale." — The New York Times

"Around 10am on 14 August 2014, an unremarkable man walked into a café near Tishinskaya Square in Moscow." — The Guardian

Examples sourced from https://ludwig.guru/s/a+unremarkable

Similar Phrases and Alternatives

Phrase	Context
a common occurrence	Suggests frequency rather than lack of distinction.
a typical example	Focuses on representativeness.
a plain building	Emphasizes simplicity and lack of ornamentation.
a run-of-the-mill product	More informal; suggests ordinariness and lack of quality.
an average day	Focuses on being within a normal range or standard.
a nondescript object	Emphasizes the difficulty in describing or distinguishing the object.
an ordinary person	Highlights the lack of special qualities or status.

Common Mistakes

• The most common mistake is using the article 'a' with uncountable nouns, or using 'a' before an adjective without including the noun that is being modified.
• Another error is using a different article, such as "an" when the following word does not begin with a vowel sound.

Quick-Reference Summary

Expression	Meaning	Grammatical Pattern	Register
a unremarkable	Not particularly interesting or surprising; ordinary.	Adjective + Noun	Neutral

FAQs

Can the words in "a unremarkable" be separated?

No, the adjective "unremarkable" directly modifies the noun that follows. Separating them would break the grammatical structure and make the sentence nonsensical.

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How is "a unremarkable" different from "an average"?

While both suggest something is not exceptional, "a unremarkable" implies a lack of distinction or interest, while "an average" focuses on being within a typical range or standard. "Average" is also often used with quantities or statistics, whereas "unremarkable" is used more broadly to describe things, events, or people.

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What's the correct way to use "a unremarkable" in a sentence, and what's a common mistake to avoid?

The correct way is to use "a unremarkable" followed by a noun, like "a unremarkable event." A common mistake is using the article 'a' with uncountable nouns, or using 'a' before an adjective without including the noun that is being modified. For example, saying "It was a unremarkable" is incorrect; you need to specify what was unremarkable.