a pretty good plan

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a pretty good plan" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to express that a plan is satisfactory or acceptable, but not necessarily outstanding. Example: "After discussing our options, I think we have come up with a pretty good plan for the project."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

15 human-written examples

That's a pretty good plan, of course, and the Diamondbacks will be happy to experience the same results.

The New York Times - Sports

And it's actually a pretty good plan, if you view it from the point of view of Trump and many Republicans.

The Washington Post

And I think I've convinced you that I had a pretty good plan," Hannity told Lako, the managing director of Henssler Financial.

The Washington Post

Everyone contributes to the cost and the Government keeps it a pretty good plan because all the elderly are in the same boat.

The New York Times

He goes into every game with a pretty good plan, he really bears down with runners in scoring position, and if he doesn't get a hit, he usually hits the ball hard somewhere.

The New York Times - Sports

The plan, administered by American Stock Transfer and Trust, is a pretty good plan from a user perspective.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

There are the makings of a pretty good business plan.

The New York Times

"I have got a pretty good fire plan set up here and we're ready to protect the house.

The Guardian

"They had a pretty good game plan against C. C. and Fausto to the point to where they made them work," Westbrook had said.

The New York Times - Sports

We've got a pretty good manufacturing plan in place.

TechCrunch

"You can read Gerstner's book and see a pretty good game plan" for turning around Sony, he says.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a pretty good plan", follow it with specific details or justifications to enhance its credibility. For example, "We have a pretty good plan, which includes a phased rollout and regular monitoring."

Common error

Avoid using "a pretty good plan" when you actually believe the plan is exceptional or outstanding. Overusing this phrase can undermine confidence in the plan. Use stronger phrases like "an excellent plan" or "a groundbreaking strategy" to convey greater enthusiasm and conviction.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a pretty good plan" functions as a noun phrase, where "pretty good" is an adjective phrase modifying the noun "plan". It serves to describe the quality or merit of a plan, indicating that it is reasonably effective or satisfactory, as evidenced by Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

64%

Academia

18%

Wiki

9%

Less common in

Science

9%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a pretty good plan" is a commonly used phrase functioning as a noun phrase, employed to describe a strategy or course of action that is satisfactory or acceptable, but not necessarily outstanding. Ludwig AI indicates that this phrase is grammatically correct and widely used across diverse contexts, particularly in News & Media and Academia. While the phrase is versatile, it's important to avoid overstating the strength of the plan and consider stronger alternatives if the plan is truly exceptional. Related phrases include "a reasonably sound strategy" and "a workable scheme". Overall, "a pretty good plan" conveys moderate approval and confidence in a proposed course of action.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a reasonably sound strategy

Replaces "pretty good" with "reasonably sound", emphasizing the reliability of the strategy.

a fairly solid blueprint

Substitutes "pretty good" with "fairly solid" and "plan" with "blueprint", suggesting a well-structured and reliable plan.

an adequately decent proposal

Replaces "pretty good" with "adequately decent" and "plan" with "proposal", indicating an acceptable but not exceptional suggestion.

a workable scheme

Replaces "pretty good plan" with "workable scheme", focusing on the practicality and feasibility of the approach.

a satisfactory course of action

Substitutes "pretty good plan" with "satisfactory course of action", highlighting that the approach meets the required standards.

a commendable approach

Replaces "pretty good" with "commendable", suggesting that the approach is worthy of praise.

a promising strategy

Replaces "pretty good" with "promising", focusing on the potential for success.

a viable option

Replaces "pretty good plan" with "viable option", emphasizing that the plan is feasible and capable of succeeding.

a sensible course of action

Replaces "pretty good" with "sensible", implying that the plan is logical and practical.

an acceptable line of attack

Replaces "pretty good plan" with "acceptable line of attack", indicating that the plan is sufficient and meets basic requirements.

FAQs

How can I use "a pretty good plan" in a sentence?

You can use "a pretty good plan" to describe a strategy or course of action that is satisfactory or acceptable but not necessarily outstanding. For example, "After discussing our options, I think we have come up with "a pretty good plan" for the project."

What can I say instead of "a pretty good plan"?

You can use alternatives like "a reasonably sound strategy", "a fairly solid blueprint", or "a workable scheme" depending on the context.

Is "a pretty good plan" formal or informal?

"A pretty good plan" is generally considered neutral to informal and can be used in both casual and professional settings. However, for very formal contexts, a more precise and sophisticated phrase might be preferable.

What's the difference between "a pretty good plan" and "an excellent plan"?

"A pretty good plan" suggests that the plan is satisfactory and likely to succeed, but not necessarily exceptional. "An excellent plan", on the other hand, implies that the plan is outstanding and of very high quality.