a illustration of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a illustration of" is not correct; it should be "an illustration of." You can use this phrase when you want to refer to a visual representation or example of something.
Example: "The book includes an illustration of the solar system to help readers understand its structure."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

But to achieve his goal he had to seek help from the Devil, and in recognition of that aid included a illustration of his helper.

The New York Times

a Illustration of test rig.

Journal of Modern Transportation

a Illustration of flooding wave.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

(a) Illustration of directed paths.

The Journal of Mathematical Neuroscience

(A) Illustration of PCNA NEDDylation cascade.

Protein & Cell

(a) Illustration of the simulation model.

Nanoscale Research Letters

(a) Illustration of films produced at different reaction temperatures.

Nanoscale Research Letters

a Illustration of the general shape of the CDT anvil.

Progress in Earth and Planetary Science

Fig. 3 a Illustration of lung coverage analysis.

Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications

a Illustration of cell elasticity measurements using AFM.

Nanoscale Research Letters

Fig. 1 a Illustration of the experiment setup.

Nanoscale Research Letters

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "an" instead of "a" before "illustration" because "illustration" starts with a vowel sound. For example, use "an illustration of the process" rather than "a illustration of the process".

Common error

The most frequent error is using the indefinite article "a" before the word "illustration". Always remember that "illustration" begins with a vowel sound, requiring the article "an". Avoid mistakes like "a illustration" which is grammatically wrong.

Linguistic Context

The phrase, while grammatically incorrect as "a illustration of", aims to introduce a visual representation or example that elucidates a concept or object. In its corrected form, "an illustration of", it functions as a noun phrase, acting as a subject complement or object in a sentence.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

85%

News & Media

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the query "a illustration of" yields many results, it's important to note the grammatical error highlighted by Ludwig AI: the correct form is "an illustration of". This phrase is frequently used across scientific and news contexts to visually represent and explain various concepts. Remember to use "an" before "illustration" due to the vowel sound. For alternative phrasing, consider options like "a depiction of" or "an example of", depending on the specific context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an instance of

Grammatically correct alternative with a slightly different emphasis on the specific occurrence.

a depiction of

Replaces "illustration" with "depiction", focusing on the visual representation.

a drawing of

Specifies the illustration type as a drawing, providing more detail.

a representation of

Uses a more formal term, "representation", instead of "illustration".

a visualization of

Highlights the act of visualizing something, rather than just presenting it.

an example of

Shifts the focus to the illustrative nature of the example.

a figure showing

Common in scientific contexts to refer to figures within a paper.

a diagram of

Specifies the illustration type as a diagram, implying a simplified representation.

a chart illustrating

Specifically refers to a chart as a mean of visual explanation.

a schematic of

Indicates a simplified, symbolic representation of something.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say "a illustration of"?

The correct way to say it is "an illustration of". The indefinite article "an" is used before words that begin with a vowel sound.

What can I use instead of "an illustration of"?

You can use alternatives like "a depiction of", "a representation of", or "an example of" depending on the context.

Why is "a illustration of" grammatically incorrect?

It's grammatically incorrect because "illustration" begins with a vowel sound, and the rule is to use "an" before words with a vowel sound. Therefore, the correct form is "an illustration of".

Is there a difference between "an illustration of" and "a picture of"?

While both phrases refer to a visual representation, "an illustration of" often implies a more detailed or explanatory image, whereas "a picture of" is a more general term for any image.