a decent summary

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a decent summary" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to a summary that is satisfactory or acceptable in quality. Example: "The report provided a decent summary of the main findings, making it easy for the team to understand the key points."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

A decent summary of the (mostly) lunkheaded (mostly) negative reactions to Neil Young's new album.

The New Yorker

"Drive" is a decent summary of the anti-Taylorist school of thinking.

The Economist

Still, even without speaking Italian, you can glean an idea of what is going on, and it contains a decent summary of the day's events on its homepage.

The New York Times - Travel

The name is a decent summary of its content.

TechCrunch

The film got mixed reviews and certainly it was not as good as the book, but it did provide an accurate critique of the NFL, and a decent summary of the concussion issue in The League.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

It might make a pretty decent summary of England's entire tour.

The Guardian - Sport

The parliamentary website has a pretty decent summary of the legislative position, including Monday's debate.

The Guardian

(Decent summary here).

The New York Times

(Here is pretty decent summary of some of the challenges of hosting your own video, and also of another alternative to hosting it on something like Cloudflare).

TechCrunch

Tim Shipman has a nice summary.

The Guardian

There, without recrimination or excuse, is a decent coach's summary of the contest.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a decent summary", ensure that the level of detail aligns with the audience's needs. A "decent summary" for experts might differ significantly from one intended for a general audience.

Common error

Avoid using "a decent summary" when the summary is exceptionally thorough or insightful; in such cases, stronger terms like "excellent overview" or "comprehensive analysis" would be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a decent summary" functions as a noun phrase acting as a subject complement or object. The adjective "decent" modifies the noun "summary", indicating a satisfactory or acceptable level of quality. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and usable structure.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a decent summary" is a grammatically sound and frequently used way to describe an overview that meets a satisfactory standard. Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is correct and usable in written English. While not exceptional, a "decent summary" is acceptable and useful, primarily appearing in news media, with some representation in scientific and general contexts. When using the phrase, ensure that the level of detail matches the audience's needs. Alternatives such as "a satisfactory overview" or "a reasonable synopsis" can offer similar meanings. Ensure that you don't overstate the quality; if the summary is more than just decent, use a stronger term.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a reasonable synopsis

Substitutes "decent" with "reasonable" and "summary" with "synopsis", implying a fair and balanced overview.

a satisfactory overview

Replaces "decent" with "satisfactory" and "summary" with "overview", suggesting an acceptable and sufficient account.

a good précis

Changes "decent" to "good" and "summary" to "précis", indicating a well-done concise summary.

a fair recap

Uses "fair" instead of "decent" and "recap" instead of "summary", implying impartiality and conciseness.

an adequate outline

Changes "decent" to "adequate" and "summary" to "outline", suggesting a basic but sufficient representation.

a suitable epitome

Replaces "decent" with "suitable" and "summary" with "epitome", suggesting a perfect example of a summary.

a commendable brief

Replaces "decent" with "commendable" and "summary" with "brief", highlighting the praiseworthiness of a concise overview.

a presentable digest

Changes "decent" to "presentable" and "summary" to "digest", implying the summary is well formatted and easy to read.

a passable abstract

Uses "passable" for "decent" and "abstract" for "summary", implying the summary is just acceptable.

a helpful compendium

Uses "helpful" for "decent" and "compendium" for "summary", indicating a useful collection of information.

FAQs

How can I use "a decent summary" in a sentence?

You can use "a decent summary" to describe a text or presentation that provides an adequate overview of a topic. For instance, "The report offered "a decent summary" of the project's progress".

What can I say instead of "a decent summary"?

Alternatives include "a satisfactory overview", "a reasonable synopsis", or "an adequate outline", depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

Is it better to say "a decent summary" or "a good summary"?

"A decent summary" and "a good summary" are largely interchangeable, but "a decent summary" might suggest a more basic or acceptable level of quality, whereas "a good summary" implies a higher standard.

What makes a summary "decent"?

A summary is "decent" if it adequately covers the main points of a topic, is clear and understandable, and provides sufficient information for the intended audience to grasp the key concepts.