an excellent idea

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an excellent idea" is correct and can be used in written English.
For example, "Their proposal for an after-school club was an excellent idea."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

I thought that was an excellent idea.

The New York Times

It's an excellent idea, this.

The Guardian - Sport

This sounds like an excellent idea.

The Guardian - Business

It seems like an excellent idea".

The Guardian

It is, however, an excellent idea.

The New York Times

Well, it would be an excellent idea!

The Guardian

A what? What an excellent idea.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

"It was an excellent idea," she said.

The New York Times

Full employment is an excellent idea.

The New Yorker

For me, this was an excellent idea.

The Guardian

"In essence, it is an excellent idea".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "an excellent idea" to express strong approval or enthusiasm for a concept or plan. Ensure the context makes it clear what you are praising.

Common error

Avoid relying solely on "an excellent idea". Vary your phrasing with alternatives such as "a superb concept" or "a brilliant notion" to maintain reader engagement and prevent repetition.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an excellent idea" functions as a subjective assessment, expressing a positive evaluation of a concept or plan. It indicates that the speaker or writer considers the idea to be of high quality and worth pursuing. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

54%

Science

22%

Wiki

13%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

3%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "an excellent idea" is a grammatically correct and frequently used phrase to express strong approval of a concept. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it appears across various contexts, including News & Media, Science and Wiki sources, suggesting its versatility. While widely accepted, varying your language with alternatives like "a superb concept" or "a brilliant notion" can enrich your writing. Remember to use the phrase when you genuinely want to endorse a concept but avoid overuse to maintain impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a superb concept

Replaces "excellent" with "superb" and "idea" with "concept" maintaining a positive connotation.

a brilliant notion

Substitutes "excellent" with "brilliant" and "idea" with "notion", emphasizing intelligence and ingenuity.

a remarkable plan

Changes "excellent" to "remarkable" and "idea" to "plan", focusing on the noteworthiness and strategic element.

a fantastic suggestion

Replaces "excellent" with "fantastic" and "idea" with "suggestion", conveying enthusiasm and a helpful offering.

a wonderful scheme

Substitutes "excellent" with "wonderful" and "idea" with "scheme", suggesting a delightful and well-organized project.

a splendid proposal

Changes "excellent" to "splendid" and "idea" to "proposal", indicating elegance and formality.

a great innovation

Replaces "excellent" with "great" and "idea" with "innovation", highlighting novelty and improvement.

a clever thought

Substitutes "excellent" with "clever" and "idea" with "thought", focusing on the intelligence behind it.

a smart solution

Changes "excellent" to "smart" and "idea" to "solution", emphasizing practicality and problem-solving.

a promising approach

Replaces "excellent" with "promising" and "idea" with "approach", conveying potential for success.

FAQs

How can I use "an excellent idea" in a sentence?

You can use "an excellent idea" to express approval of a plan, suggestion or concept. For example, "Implementing flexible working hours is "an excellent idea" to improve employee satisfaction."

What are some alternatives to saying "an excellent idea"?

Depending on the context, you can use phrases like "a superb concept", "a brilliant notion", or "a remarkable plan" to convey a similar meaning.

When is it appropriate to use "an excellent idea" in formal writing?

"An excellent idea" is generally acceptable in most formal writing contexts, particularly when conveying positive feedback or support for a proposal. However, consider more sophisticated alternatives like "a splendid proposal" for enhanced formality.

Is "an excellent idea" considered cliché?

While "an excellent idea" is a common expression, it's not necessarily cliché unless overused. Using a variety of alternatives like "a great innovation" or "a promising approach" can help maintain freshness in your writing.