focusing primarily on

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "focusing primarily on" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to indicate that the main emphasis or attention is directed towards a specific subject or aspect. Example: "The research paper is focusing primarily on the effects of climate change on marine biodiversity."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Thereafter, Western studies became increasingly dynamic, focusing primarily on medicine.

Britannica

The wine selection is exceptionally well chosen, focusing primarily on France, the West Coast and Australia.

The New York Times - Travel

While focusing primarily on representations of the body, the show also features costume and set sketches.

The New York Times

Transportation officials are responding pretty much as they always have: by focusing primarily on drivers.

The New York Times

Yahoo built that business by focusing primarily on high-priced ads.

The New York Times - Tech

It also varied substantially from the traditional conservative approach of focusing primarily on personal investment accounts.

The New York Times

By focusing primarily on Warhol's sexuality, Koestenbaum inadvertently marginalizes a major artist.

The New York Times - Books

The Praxis Network consists of "digital humanities" initiatives at eight universities, focusing primarily on graduate education.

The New York Times

The "greed tax" greatly discouraged corporate and financial services executives from focusing primarily on personal enrichment.

The New York Times

It studies the effectiveness of governmental expenditures, focusing primarily on the executive branch.

Encyclopedia Britannica

So Google does the next best thing and is focusing primarily on smaller businesses.

The New York Times - Tech

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "focusing primarily on", ensure that the context clearly indicates what other, less primary, areas might also be considered. This helps provide a complete picture and avoids misinterpretation.

Common error

Avoid using "focusing primarily on" when the intent is to convey exclusive focus. Using the phrase suggests there are secondary areas of attention, even if minimal. For cases of sole focus, consider using "exclusively focusing on" or "solely concentrating on" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "focusing primarily on" acts as a verb phrase, specifically a gerund phrase functioning as an adjective. According to Ludwig AI, it modifies a noun by indicating the main area of attention or emphasis, suggesting that something is dedicating most of its resources or attention to a particular subject.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

36%

Academia

16%

Science

16%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

4%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "focusing primarily on" is a versatile and frequently used construction that indicates the main area of attention or emphasis. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and widespread applicability across diverse contexts. While it is essential to ensure that the context allows for other secondary areas of focus, avoiding its use when implying exclusive concentration. In summary, using "focusing primarily on" is a clear and effective way to communicate the primary subject of interest while acknowledging that other considerations may exist.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

mainly focusing on

Reorders the words, keeping a similar emphasis but slightly altering the flow.

chiefly focusing on

Replaces "primarily" with "chiefly", indicating the main or most important aspect.

principally focusing on

Substitutes "primarily" with "principally", suggesting a fundamental or essential focus.

largely focusing on

Replaces "primarily" with "largely", implying a major but not exclusive focus.

essentially focusing on

Substitutes "primarily" with "essentially", highlighting the core or fundamental aspect being focused on.

predominantly focusing on

Replaces "primarily" with "predominantly", emphasizing the prevalence of the focus.

primarily concentrating on

Swaps "focusing" with "concentrating", keeping the emphasis on "primarily".

mainly concentrating on

Combines "mainly" with "concentrating", shifting slightly the verb and adverb.

centering mainly on

Uses "centering" to convey the act of focusing, with "mainly" specifying the degree.

giving priority to

Shifts the structure to emphasize prioritization instead of direct focus.

FAQs

How can I use "focusing primarily on" in a sentence?

Use "focusing primarily on" to indicate that the main emphasis or attention is directed towards a specific subject or aspect, while acknowledging other areas might receive some attention. For example: "The project is focusing primarily on renewable energy sources".

What are some alternatives to "focusing primarily on"?

You can use alternatives like "mainly focusing on", "chiefly focusing on", or "principally focusing on" depending on the context.

Is it redundant to say "focusing primarily and mainly on"?

Yes, using both "primarily" and "mainly" is redundant because they have similar meanings. Choose one or the other to avoid unnecessary repetition. For example: "focusing primarily on" or "focusing mainly on".

What's the difference between "focusing primarily on" and "focusing exclusively on"?

"Focusing primarily on" suggests that the main attention is on a particular subject, but other subjects might also be considered. "Focusing exclusively on", on the other hand, means that attention is limited solely to that subject, with no other considerations.