How to use "mainly"

What Does "mainly" Mean?

• What it expresses: "Mainly" is an adverb of degree and focus. It indicates that something is the primary or most important part of a whole, though not the exclusive part. It is synonymous with "mostly" or "primarily."
• What part of the sentence it typically modifies: It is highly versatile, modifying verbs, adjectives, prepositional phrases, or entire clauses.
• Register: It is neutral to semi-formal. It is equally at home in academic reports, journalism, and everyday conversation.

How to Use It

• Typical sentence positions: The most natural position is mid-position (between the subject and main verb, or after the first auxiliary verb). However, it frequently appears immediately before the specific noun phrase or prepositional phrase it is highlighting.
• What it modifies: Placing "mainly" before different elements shifts the focus. For example, "I mainly eat vegetables" (focus on the action) vs. "I eat mainly vegetables" (focus on the food group).
• Grammatical flexibility: It can be fronted for emphasis (e.g., "Mainly, I am concerned about the cost"), though this is less common. It works well with negation ("not mainly") and in questions.
• What sounds unnatural: Placing "mainly" at the very end of a sentence often feels incomplete or "tacked on" (e.g., "We traveled by train mainly" is less idiomatic than "We traveled mainly by train").

Real-World Examples

These examples are sourced from mainly on Ludwig.guru.

"They were arrested as a result of the British policy of internment without trial in 1971 when thousands of suspects, mainly from Ireland's nationalist-republican community, were rounded up." — theguardian.com

"The report responds to lawmakers, mainly Republicans, who have argued that federal authorities must do much more to strengthen enforcement before Congress can consider any legalization for an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the country." — nytimes.com

"We've mainly discussed questions of his stay here, as well as his questions about human rights." — theguardian.com

"In a speech mainly devoted to the Middle East, President Obama told the UN general assembly in New York that "the regime of Bashar al-Assad must come to an end so that the suffering of the Syrian people can stop, and a new dawn can begin"." — theguardian.com

"While the practice has mainly been restricted to finishing off performances of actors who died midway through filming – such as Paul Walker in Fast and Furious 7 – it has also been utilised by advertisers, keen to attach famous faces to their brands." — theguardian.com

Examples sourced from https://ludwig.guru/s/mainly

Similar Phrases and Alternatives

Phrase	Context
primarily	More formal; emphasizes the most important reason or purpose.
mostly	More informal; common in spoken English to describe the majority of something.
chiefly	Formal/Literary; often used to highlight a specific group or reason.
largely	Neutral; used to indicate that something is true to a great extent.
predominantly	Formal; often used in statistical, demographic, or scientific contexts.
principally	Formal; emphasizes the primary person or factor involved.

Common Mistakes

• Wrong Scope of Modification: Placing "mainly" too far from the word it describes can lead to ambiguity. Learners often misplace it in the sentence, failing to put it immediately before the word or phrase it modifies.
• Overuse in Academic Writing: While acceptable, using "mainly" repeatedly can feel repetitive; formal alternatives like "primarily" or "to a large extent" can provide better variety.

Quick-Reference Summary

Expression	Function	Register	Typical Position
mainly	Focus/Degree	Neutral	Mid-position or before the modified phrase

FAQs

Where is the most natural place to put mainly in a sentence

The most natural position for mainly is the mid-position, which means placing it after the verb "to be" or after the first auxiliary verb. If there is no auxiliary, it usually sits immediately before the main verb or the specific phrase it is intended to emphasize.

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How does mainly differ from its closest alternative mostly

While both words are often interchangeable, mainly is slightly more formal and is frequently used to identify the most important reason or category. In contrast, mostly is the preferred choice in casual conversation and often refers to the bulk or majority of a physical quantity.

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What is the most common error when using this adverb

Learners often misplace it in the sentence, failing to put it immediately before the word or phrase it modifies. If you place mainly too early or too late, the scope of modification changes, which can confuse the reader about exactly which part of the statement is the primary one.