X times decrease

M

Ma_linka

Senior Member
Russian
Hi, I have a sentence here. How does it sound to the native speaker's ear?
What I don't like is repetition of decrease.

Use of foil results in a 22 times decrease of the velocity in cell 1-1, 17 times decrease in cell 2-2, 31 and 43 times decrease in cell 3-3 according to experimental evidence and calculated data, respectively.
 
    • Ma_linka said:
    Hi, I have a sentence here. How does it sound to the native speaker's ear?
    What I don't like is repetition of decrease.

    Use of foil results in a 22 times decrease of the velocity in cell 1-1, 17 times decrease in cell 2-2, 31 and 43 times decrease in cell 3-3 according to experimental evidence and calculated data, respectively.
    Click to expand...

    Use of foil results in the following decrease of the velocity: cell 1-1. 17 times; cell 2-2, 31; cell 3-3, 43, according to experimental evidence and calculated data respectively.
     
    "Use of foil results in a 22 times decrease of the velocity in cell 1-1, ..."
    This sentence sounds odd to this native. "Times" is usually used for multiplication (making bigger) but you are using it for making something smaller. If the velocity was 44 to start with, what is it after "22 times decrease". If the velocity was 3 to start with, what is it after "2 times decrease"?
     
    As Julian said, you cannot speak of something as being "2 (or any other number) times smaller" than something else. It is an expression I often hear -- but as noted, it is in reality illogical and meaningless.
     
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