get a general overview

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "get a general overview" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when you want to summarize or provide a broad understanding of a topic or situation. Example: "Before diving into the details, let's get a general overview of the project's objectives and timeline."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

With that data on hand, the first thing was to get a general overview.

The Guardian

This helped to get a general overview and to see a glimpse of how the data looks like.

International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility

This paper reports a systematic mapping study conducted to get a general overview of how text semantics is being treated in text mining studies.

Journal of the Brazilian Computer Society

The POCUS of the abdomen to detect the features of small and large bowel pathologies must be done with the low-frequency transducer (5 2 MHz) to begin with to get a general overview of the abdomen.

Critical Ultrasound Journal

From the data gleaned through her mystery shopping, she is able to draw conclusions on such items as subscriber growth and churn and get a general overview of the marketplace.

Forbes

The first exploration level of SubVIS enables the user to get a general overview of all detected subspace clusters and their properties such as the cluster and subspace size, the distribution of dimensions within the different subspace clusters as well as the similarity between them.

Brain Informatics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

Get a general knowledge of your surroundings.

WikiHow

Get a general sense of it.

WikiHow

However, to get a more general overview, we give in Table S6 also an estimate on the occurrence of key TCS domains versus the number of annotated and known TCS in several bacterial genomes plus the recent data on maize as well as Arabidopsis plant genomes.

Bioinformatics and Biology Insights

Start with a general overview.

WikiHow

Begin with a general overview of Indian philosophy.

WikiHow

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "get a general overview" when you need to quickly understand the main points of a topic or situation before diving into the details.

Common error

While "get a general overview" is acceptable in most contexts, consider using more formal alternatives like "obtain a comprehensive understanding" or "acquire a broad perspective" in academic or professional writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "get a general overview" functions primarily as a verbal phrase indicating the act of acquiring a basic understanding of a subject. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is a usable phrase for providing a broad summary. Examples show its use in various contexts, from data analysis to topic introductions.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

41%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Academia

3%

Encyclopedias

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "get a general overview" is a commonly used and grammatically sound phrase for expressing the act of gaining a basic understanding of a topic. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is appropriate for various contexts, though it's often better to use more formal alternatives in academic or professional settings. The phrase is found frequently in scientific and news-related articles. While "get a general overview" is suitable for neutral to informal communication, consider more sophisticated synonyms like "obtain a broad understanding" or "acquire a comprehensive insight" for formal writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

obtain a general understanding

Focuses on the act of obtaining knowledge rather than simply 'getting' an overview.

acquire a broad perspective

Emphasizes gaining a wider viewpoint on a subject.

gain a comprehensive insight

Highlights achieving a thorough understanding.

develop a basic familiarity

Suggests building a foundational knowledge of a topic.

form a preliminary impression

Implies creating an initial judgment or idea.

achieve a surface-level knowledge

Indicates a basic understanding without delving into deep details.

get the gist

Informal way of saying to understand the main point.

grasp the essentials

Focuses on understanding the most important aspects.

get a feel for

Implies developing an intuitive sense or understanding.

understand the fundamentals

Focuses on comprehension of basic principles.

FAQs

How can I use "get a general overview" in a sentence?

You can use "get a general overview" when you want to express the action of acquiring a basic understanding of a subject. For example: "Before the meeting, I want to "get a general overview" of the project's current status."

What are some alternatives to "get a general overview"?

Some alternatives include "obtain a general understanding", "acquire a broad perspective", or "gain a comprehensive insight".

Is it appropriate to use "get a general overview" in formal writing?

While "get a general overview" is grammatically correct, it may be more suitable for informal or neutral contexts. In formal writing, consider using alternatives that sound more professional, such as "acquire a comprehensive understanding".

How does "get a general overview" differ from "study in detail"?

"Get a general overview" implies a quick and basic understanding, while "study in detail" suggests a thorough and in-depth analysis. One is superficial while other explores the depths of a topic.