"describes the distribution of" vs "describes a distribution of"

Question

"describes the distribution of" vs "describes a distribution of"

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'Describes the distribution of' is used when referring to a specific distribution, while 'describes a distribution of' is used when referring to any distribution in a general sense.

Last Updated: March 25, 2024

This phrase is used when talking about a particular distribution that is known or specified.

Examples:

The report describes the distribution of income in the population.
The graph describes the distribution of scores in the class.

Alternatives:

analyzes the distribution of
illustrates the distribution of
depicts the distribution of
explains the distribution of
outlines the distribution of

This phrase is used when discussing distributions in a general or unspecified manner.

Examples:

The article describes a distribution of resources in the ecosystem.
The study describes a distribution of preferences among the participants.

Alternatives:

describes various distributions of
describes different distributions of
describes multiple distributions of
describes diverse distributions of
describes several distributions of

Answer 1

describes the distribution of

This phrase is correct and commonly used when referring to a specific distribution.

Answer 2

describes a distribution of

This phrase is correct and commonly used when referring to any distribution in a general sense.

"describes the distribution of" vs "describes a distribution of"

describes the distribution of

describes a distribution of

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