Meaning & use
dramatic changes
Last updated
Meanings
nounplural
Very large and noticeable differences in a situation, system, or way of life.
Grammar: Always plural in this phrase; use a plural verb, as in 'Dramatic changes are happening.'
Patterns
- dramatic changes in something
- dramatic changes to something
- bring about dramatic changes
- see dramatic changes
The new law brought dramatic changes to the way schools are funded.
After only a year, the town had seen dramatic changes in its population and its mood.
Doctors warn that dramatic changes in diet can be hard on the body.
nounplural
Sudden, striking shifts in the way something looks, works, or is understood.
Grammar: Often used with verbs like 'undergo' or 'experience' when describing a process of transformation.
Patterns
- undergo dramatic changes
- experience dramatic changes
- dramatic changes occur
The industry has undergone dramatic changes since the arrival of the internet.
Her paintings show dramatic changes in style between 1990 and 2000.
Common combinations
- dramatic changes in
- There have been dramatic changes in the climate over the past century.
- bring about dramatic changes
- The new manager brought about dramatic changes in the company's culture.
- undergo dramatic changes
- The city has undergone dramatic changes since the factory closed.
- dramatic changes to
- The government announced dramatic changes to the tax system.
- see dramatic changes
- We have seen dramatic changes in technology in just ten years.
Synonyms and how they differ
- radical changes
- Suggests changes that go to the root of something and may be more extreme or political than 'dramatic changes'.
- sweeping changes
- Emphasizes that the changes affect a wide area or many people, rather than just being striking.
- major changes
- A plainer, less emotional choice; it means important changes but not necessarily sudden or striking.
Opposites
Word family
- dramatically adverb
- In a striking or sudden way: 'Prices rose dramatically.'
- dramatic adjective
- Describing something sudden, striking, or full of tension.
- drama noun
- An exciting or emotional situation, or a play for the theater.
Commonly confused: dramatic changes or traumatic changes?
dramatic changes vs traumatic changes
'Traumatic' means deeply upsetting or shocking; 'dramatic' means striking and noticeable, not necessarily painful.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'dramatic changes' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Dramatic changes' is a plural noun phrase, so it needs no article and takes a plural form: 'dramatic changes to its hiring policy.' Option 2 wrongly adds 'a' before a plural, option 3 uses the singular 'change' with a plural meaning, and option 4 uses the -ing form 'changing' where a noun is needed.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dramatic changes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.