A linguist is analyzing the frequency of a rare grammatical structure in a 10,000-word corpus. It appears 25 times. What is the probability that a randomly selected word is part of this structure?

Tue, 05 May 2026 22:38:14 +0000

**What’s the Real Frequency of a Rare Grammatical Structure in American English?** Why are linguists turning increased attention to a rare grammatical structure appearing just 25 times in a 10,000-word corpus? This question reflects a growing fascination with linguistic precision—how certain patterns, though rare, can reveal deeper patterns in how we communicate. In an era of big data and digital text mining, even sporadic linguistic features invite scrutiny. For curious readers, especially those exploring language trends or literacy development, understanding the actual presence of such constructions helps decode how language evolves and adapts across contexts. --- ### The Surprising Reality Behind a Approximately 0.25% Linguistic Pattern