mainly consisting of

USAGE SUMMARY

'mainly consisting of' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a group or collection of things that are largely made up of one particular item or type of item. For example, "The audience was mainly consisting of young people."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The download is a 261 MB zipped file (mainly consisting of included grammar data files).

Stanford University

The download is a 151M zipped file (mainly consisting of classifier data objects).

Stanford University

This system mainly consisting of GIS platform, application modules and graphical user interface.

Procedia Computer Science

The material considered is Stabilor®G, a dental alloy, mainly consisting of gold.

Mechanics of Materials

An elderly man comes to platform 13 as a train from Verona pulls in, carrying another large group, mainly consisting of young Afghan men.

The Guardian

Leonard Michaels died in 2003, aged 70, with a relatively small but well-respected oeuvre, mainly consisting of short stories, under his belt.

The Guardian - Books

Laurel and Hardy's slapstick routines, simple dialogue and plots (mainly consisting of turning everyday tribulations into Herculean trials of endurance) were easily appealing to a kid.

The Guardian - Film

Beside the many fibres of the extracellular matrix and in addition to the RC, also myeloid elements mainly consisting of erythrocyte have been evidenced.

Nature

Paper sludge is not hazardous industrial waste mainly consisting of cellulose and calcite.

Construction and Building Materials

The deposited ceramic shows almost 100% density and stable phases mainly consisting of α-Al2O3 and YAG.

Procedia CIRP

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents a heterogeneous group mainly consisting of adenocarcinoma, whose incidence is rising.

Revue Francophone des Laboratoires

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "mainly consisting of", ensure that the items listed after the phrase genuinely represent the largest portion of the whole. Avoid exaggeration or misrepresentation.

Common error

Avoid using "mainly consisting of" if the elements you are describing do not truly form the majority. For example, do not say "The salad was mainly consisting of croutons" if there are more lettuce and tomatoes than croutons.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "mainly consisting of" functions as a prepositional phrase that modifies a noun or noun phrase. It specifies the primary components or ingredients of the noun it modifies. Ludwig confirms its correctness and usability.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Academia

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "mainly consisting of" is a versatile prepositional phrase used to describe the primary components of something. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and widely used. It's appropriate for various contexts, ranging from scientific and formal writing to news and general discourse. When using this phrase, ensure that the elements you list accurately represent the major portion of the whole. Alternatives like "primarily composed of" or "largely comprised of" can offer slight variations in formality and emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

primarily composed of

Replaces "mainly" with "primarily" and uses "composed" instead of "consisting", offering a slightly more formal tone.

largely comprised of

Substitutes "consisting" with "comprised", conveying a similar meaning with a different verb choice.

mostly made up of

Uses a more informal expression, "made up of", to indicate the main components.

chiefly constituted of

Employs "chiefly" for emphasis and "constituted" for a more formal construction.

predominantly formed of

Replaces "mainly" with "predominantly" and "consisting" with "formed", highlighting the dominant element.

essentially composed of

Focuses on the fundamental components using "essentially" and "composed".

substantially including

Uses "substantially" and "including" to suggest a significant but not necessarily exclusive composition.

generally characterized by

Shifts focus to the overall characteristics rather than strict composition.

typically featuring

Highlights typical elements instead of primary components.

notably including

Indicates significant but not necessarily dominant components.

FAQs

What does "mainly consisting of" mean?

The phrase "mainly consisting of" indicates that something is primarily composed of or made up of the items that follow. It signifies the major components of a whole.

How can I use "mainly consisting of" in a sentence?

You can use "mainly consisting of" to describe the composition of something, such as "The team was "mainly consisting of" volunteers" or "The diet is "mainly consisting of" fruits and vegetables".

What are some alternatives to "mainly consisting of"?

Some alternatives to "mainly consisting of" include "primarily composed of", "largely comprised of", and "mostly made up of".

Is there a difference between "mainly consisting of" and "partly consisting of"?

Yes, "mainly consisting of" implies that the listed items are the major components, while "partly consisting of" suggests that they are only some of the components but not necessarily the dominant ones.