constitute mainly of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "constitute mainly of" is not correct in English.
The correct form is "constitute mainly" or "be constituted mainly of." You can use it when describing the primary components or elements that make up something. Example: "The committee is constituted mainly of experts in environmental science."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The emissions constitute mainly of hydrogen sulphide (H2S), methyl mercaptan (MM), dimethyl sulphide (DMS) and dimethyl disulphide (DMDS) in different proportions.

Analytica Chimica Acta

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

They present a macromolecular structure constituted mainly of phenolic, guaiacyl, and siringyl units common to lignin.

Carbon

Activted sludge is a complex ecosystem constituted mainly of bacteria and protozoa.

IFAC Proceedings Volumes

SEM and Raman analysis suggested that the char layers were constituted mainly of polyaromatic species with small and uniform microstructures at the surface.

Polymer

With positive electrode polarity, the alloyed layers constituted mainly of NiAl phase are formed on the EDA specimens, in either kerosene or distilled water.

Surface and Coatings Technology

For years now, biological wastewater treatment plants rely on activated sludge systems in which a complex ecosystem, constituted mainly of bacteria and protozoa, (bio degrade the incoming pollutants.

Journal of Process Control

One line (basic vasopressor principles) is constituted mainly of arginine vasotocin, which is present in all gnathostomes except mammals; amino-acid substitution in the molecule gave rise to the vasopressins of mammals.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Chemical composition analyses showed that extracted polysaccharide was a pectin-like polysaccharide with uronic acid content (47.5%) and neutral monosaccharides (52.5%) constituted mainly of arabinose, mannose, galactose, rhamnose, glucose and xylose in the molar percentage of 48.63%, 5.85%, 29.42%, 7.96%, 6.54% and 1.60%, respectively.

Carbohydrate Polymers

Production networks, in particular the machinery ones, are constituted mainly of geographical agglomerations that form regional blocs of production.

Latin American Economic Review

If water is chemically defined as a liquid constituted mainly of H2O, then if a glass contains water, it contains mainly H2O.

SEP

This was attributed to the fact that molasses is constituted mainly of sucrose [32] which does not have high calorific value as compared to wood char.

International Journal of Energy and Environmental Engineering

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing the composition of something, use the correct phrase "constitute mainly" or "be constituted mainly of". For example: "The committee is constituted mainly of experts in environmental science."

Common error

Avoid using "constitute mainly of". The correct forms are "constitute mainly" or "be constituted mainly of". For example, instead of saying "The team constitutes mainly of senior members", say "The team is constituted mainly of senior members" or "The team constitutes mainly senior members".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "constitute mainly of" functions to describe the primary components or elements that make up a particular entity. However, this exact phrasing is grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI suggests using "constitute mainly" or "be constituted mainly of" instead.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

100%

Less common in

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "constitute mainly of" is used to describe the primary components of something. However, Ludwig AI identifies this phrasing as grammatically incorrect. The correct forms are "constitute mainly" or "be constituted mainly of". While examples exist, mainly within scientific contexts, it's important to use the grammatically correct forms. Alternatives such as "consist mainly of" or "be composed mainly of" can also be used to express similar meanings with better grammatical accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

consist mainly of

Replaces "constitute" with "consist", maintaining a similar structure and meaning.

be composed mainly of

Uses a passive voice construction with "composed", emphasizing the components.

be primarily composed of

Adds "primarily" to further highlight the main components.

be largely made up of

Employs "made up" for a more informal tone while retaining the core meaning.

be chiefly comprised of

Utilizes "chiefly" to stress the main elements.

be fundamentally constituted of

Replaces mainly with fundamentally, and maintains similar structure

mainly comprise

Uses a direct structure with "comprise" as the verb.

be essentially formed of

Emphasizes the formation or creation aspect.

be principally composed of

Emphasizes the principal elements of the expression.

be predominantly made of

Uses "predominantly" to indicate a strong majority.

FAQs

What is the correct way to use "constitute" to indicate main components?

The phrase should be "constitute mainly" or "be constituted mainly of". For example, say "The group constitutes mainly volunteers" or "The group is constituted mainly of volunteers".

What are some alternatives to "constitute mainly of"?

Instead of "constitute mainly of", you can use phrases like "consist mainly of", "be composed mainly of", or "be largely made up of".

Is there a difference between "constitute mainly" and "be constituted mainly of"?

Both phrases are grammatically sound and convey a similar meaning. "Constitute mainly" is an active construction, while "be constituted mainly of" is a passive construction. Choose the one that fits best in your sentence.

How can I rephrase a sentence using "constitute mainly of" to make it clearer?

Rewrite the sentence using alternatives like "primarily comprise" or "are mainly composed of" for better clarity. For example, change "The solution constitutes mainly of water and salt" to "The solution primarily comprises water and salt" or "The solution is mainly composed of water and salt".