a general illustration

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a general illustration" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when providing an example that represents a broader concept or idea. Example: "To clarify my point, let me provide a general illustration of how this theory applies in real life."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

This article was amended on 25 January 2013 to change the photograph and caption; the previous photograph was meant only as a general illustration of an academy school and was not to meant to suggest that the article was about the particular school pictured.

The Guardian

As a general illustration, we provide below the fuzzy inference diagram including all the 29 decision rules and the membership functions of 13 determinants of entrepreneurial intentions.

Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research

The calculator is designed to provide a general illustration of cost of financing in various scenarios, rather than to give precise predictions of how much individuals will have to pay.

BBC

Independent of the previous example, c provides a general illustration of how vertices vi,j l,r) are formed based on the measurement sets (mathcal {M}_{i}) and (mathcal {M}_{j}) of agents i and j, respectively.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

A general illustration of our simplified system is shown in Figures 1. Figure 1a represents the dimer state at equilibrium.

Plosone

An overall illustration of the Swedish healthcare system is presented in Fig.  1, providing a general illustration of regional and healthcare provider levels, respectively, in this study.

BMC Health Services Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

However, we do not believe that our setting (the MSFC) had an impact on the general illustration of the design and validation process (the steps performed are independent of the use case).

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

Open image in new window Fig. 1 General illustration of a multi-bus microgrid with power electronics interfaced DG systems.

Journal of Modern Power Systems and Clean Energy

Figure 5a shows the general illustration of three-phase inverter M, where u Ma, u Mb and u Mc are the three-phase output voltages; and Z M refers to the output filter impedance of inverter M. Assuming the grid voltage is purely sinusoidal, the equivalent circuit harmonics can be drawn as Fig. 5b, where u hMa, u hMb and u hMc are the voltage harmonics of u Ma, u Mb, u Mc, respectively.

Journal of Modern Power Systems and Clean Energy

General illustrations include playing and singing national anthems, presenting the national colours, reviewing the armed forces, and cultivating the memory of national heroes.

Britannica

Determining clinically important differences in health status measures: a general approach with illustration to the Health Utilities Index Mark II.

Duke University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a general illustration", ensure the example truly represents the broader concept you're explaining. Avoid cherry-picking examples that only support your argument.

Common error

Avoid using "a general illustration" if the subject matter requires a nuanced or detailed explanation. A general illustration can sometimes obscure crucial details or exceptions.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a general illustration" functions as a noun phrase introducing an example that serves to clarify or exemplify a broader point. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's used to provide a broad understanding of a concept.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

42%

News & Media

21%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

9%

Wiki

6%

Formal & Business

7%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a general illustration" is a grammatically correct phrase used to introduce an example that simplifies a broader concept. Ludwig AI suggests that the phrase is suitable for providing clarity and understanding. While not extremely common, the phrase appears across various domains like science, news media, and academia. To avoid oversimplification, ensure the illustration is representative and doesn't obscure key details. Related phrases include "a typical example" and "a broad example". Using "a general illustration" effectively requires careful selection to ensure the example adequately represents the intended concept.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a typical example

Emphasizes the representativeness of the example.

a broad example

Highlights the scope and generality of the example.

a representative case

Stresses that the instance is a good representation of a wider phenomenon.

a common scenario

Focuses on a frequently occurring situation as an illustrative example.

a basic demonstration

Highlights the simple or fundamental nature of the illustration.

a standard depiction

Suggests the illustration conforms to accepted norms or conventions.

an overall view

Presents a comprehensive perspective of the topic.

a simple instance

Emphasizes the ease of understanding and the elementarity of the illustration.

a conceptual model

Highlights that the illustration functions as a model simplifying complex information.

a schematic representation

Emphasizes that the illustration is a simplified, diagrammatic depiction.

FAQs

How can I use "a general illustration" in a sentence?

Use "a general illustration" to introduce an example that broadly represents a concept or idea. For instance, "To understand this economic theory, consider "a general illustration" of supply and demand in the coffee market".

What are some alternatives to "a general illustration"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "a typical example", "a broad example", or "a representative case".

Is there a difference between "a general illustration" and "a specific example"?

"A general illustration" provides a broad overview or simplified instance, while "a specific example" offers a detailed, particular case. Use ""a general illustration"" when you want to introduce an idea and "a specific example" when you want to analyze an individual case.

When is it appropriate to use "a general illustration" in writing?

It is appropriate to use "a general illustration" when you want to clarify a complex topic, provide a simplified overview, or introduce a basic concept. However, avoid it if the topic requires specific details or nuanced analysis.