The phrase "a general idea that" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when introducing a broad concept or overview of a topic before delving into specifics.
Example: "The report provides a general idea that the economy is improving, but further analysis is needed to understand the details."
Alternatives: "a broad concept that" or "an overarching notion that".
This new analysis in fact reflects a general idea that has a rich history.
Some people plan everything down to the last detail before they begin attaching things to the page; other people develop a general idea that includes the basics and then allow the details of the layout to develop on their own.
Supersymmetry is such a general idea that there is always another version that can be proposed.
They have a general idea that it's taken up by the ocean and by plants.
CARNEY: People have a general idea that Overseers attend meetings and participate in conversations about issues of importance — which we do.
Scientists can sometimes have a general idea that a volcano is due to erupt, but a sudden event dictates the precise timing.
Moreover, this two-step procedure is a rather general idea that could be applied to all kinds of statistical prediction problems to find parameter consistent and model selection consistent estimates in high dimensions.
Thus, specific groups of parents are expected to need support instead of a more general idea that parenting (for all parents) has become more difficult and in need of support.
"I want to take a look at the general idea that if somebody did something when they were 16 or 17, that doesn't become an entire impossibility — as long as it's not serious — to joining a police department," Mr. Emanuel said.
This is an extension of my general idea that one does not need rationalization with the use of complicated models (by fallible experts) to the edict: "do not disturb a complex system" since we do not know the consequences of our actions owing to complicated causal webs.
Mr. Gorbachev's spin controllers, who now adroitly work the press corps in the Kremlin lobbies, proclaimed the Congress a victory because the Soviet leader got most of what he wanted: a reorganized Government, his choice as Vice President, and a rousing endorsement of the general idea that the Soviet Union should continue to exist.
