mainly recently

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "mainly recently" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It is unclear and may confuse readers, as "mainly" and "recently" do not logically combine in this context. Example: "The changes in policy have been mainly recently implemented, causing some confusion among staff."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Conversely, of the 21% who claimed that the fences were positive, the majority welcomed the added enclosure on the grounds that the fences reduced stock loss through cattle straying, and these pastoralists were mainly recently established Hambukushu or Bayei herders.

Pastoralism: Research, Policy and Practice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Oedema disease is a severe disease, mainly affecting recently weaned pigs.

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

At this stage, the dataset was large (containing 1260 hits) and comprised mainly of recently expanded gene families.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

These functionally enriched patterns are composed mainly of recently evolved genes suggesting that there is no evolutionary pressure acting to preserve such functionally enriched patterns.

BMC Systems Biology

The chondroitin sulfate (CS) 846 epitope has been suggested to be present mainly on recently synthesized aggrecan [ 37], and it was shown to be elevated two- to threefold in SF up to 20 years after knee injury compared with those uninjured [ 38].

Arthritis Research and Therapy

The loss will stem mainly from the recently purchased Silicon Valley Group Inc. in the United States, ASML said.

The New York Times

Even within South Korea it was known until recently mainly for having bid unsuccessfully for the 2010 and 2014 Winter Games.

The New York Times - Sports

The 1980s were more of a struggle, mainly because the recently married singer had to experience the heartbreak of fathering a son, Ben, afflicted by severe cerebral palsy.

The Guardian - Books

Another realist has focused recently mainly on the rise of China and argues that the Obama administration should be preparing for a potential conflict.

The Guardian

"Housebuilders have performed well in the stock market recently, mainly as a result of government programmes to boost house sales," said Ashish Misra of Lloyds TSB Private Banking.

Independent

However, the IAB said the rise was unsurprising given the extensive coverage the topic has received recently, mainly as a result of Apple allowing app developers to block ads in its Safari web browser, which is used on iPhones and iPads.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "mainly recently" in formal writing. Opt for clearer alternatives such as "primarily in recent times" or "mostly lately" to ensure grammatical correctness and improve clarity.

Common error

A common mistake is directly combining adverbs that don't modify each other. Instead of "mainly recently", clarify the relationship by rephrasing, for example, "mainly due to recent events".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "mainly recently" functions as an adverbial modifier attempting to specify the time frame and the degree of focus simultaneously. However, as Ludwig AI highlights, the phrase is grammatically unsound and lacks clarity, leading to awkward constructions.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

33%

Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "mainly recently" is grammatically incorrect and lacks clarity, making it unsuitable for formal or professional writing. As Ludwig AI points out, combining these adverbs directly results in awkward constructions. It attempts to convey that something has been a primary focus within a recent timeframe, but clearer alternatives such as "primarily in recent times" or "mostly lately" should be preferred. Although examples exist across diverse sources like Science, News & Media, and Formal & Business, its rarity and grammatical issues diminish its effectiveness. Opting for more precise and grammatically sound alternatives is crucial for effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

primarily in recent times

Replaces "mainly" with "primarily" and rephrases "recently" for better flow and grammatical correctness.

mostly lately

Substitutes "mainly" with "mostly" and "recently" with "lately", offering a more informal tone.

largely in the past few years

Emphasizes the 'recent' aspect with a more descriptive phrase, while replacing 'mainly' with 'largely'.

predominantly in recent history

Uses "predominantly" instead of "mainly" and specifies "recent history" to highlight the timeframe.

chiefly in recent times

Replaces "mainly" with "chiefly", providing a more formal alternative.

principally of late

Employs "principally" for "mainly" and "of late" for "recently", resulting in a more stylized expression.

primarily in the current climate

This substitution changes both terms maintaining the intended meaning.

mostly in the present day

Replaces both terms to convey a similar concept with a slightly different wording.

significantly in recent weeks

Changes "mainly" with "significantly" and provides a specific timeframe "in recent weeks".

considerably of recent occurrence

Alters both terms to create an unique option to express the intended sense.

FAQs

How can I correctly use the concepts of "mainly" and "recently" together in a sentence?

Instead of the awkward "mainly recently", try phrases like "primarily in recent times" or "mostly lately" to better convey your intended meaning. These alternatives provide clarity and grammatical correctness.

What are some alternatives to "mainly" when discussing recent events?

Consider using alternatives such as "primarily", "mostly", or "largely" to describe what is prominent in recent events.

Is "mainly recently" grammatically correct, and why or why not?

No, "mainly recently" is not grammatically correct. The adverbs don't logically modify each other. It's better to use a phrase that clearly indicates the primary focus within a recent timeframe, such as "primarily in recent times".

In what contexts should I avoid using "mainly recently"?

Avoid using "mainly recently" in formal or academic writing. It is generally perceived as awkward and unclear. Opt for more precise and grammatically sound alternatives in professional settings.