mainly the case

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "mainly the case" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something is true or applicable in most situations or instances, but not universally. Example: "In many instances, it is mainly the case that people prefer to work in teams rather than alone."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

18 human-written examples

But, again, this is mainly the case in Europe and America.

The New York Times

The known results about H∗p concern mainly the case p<2.

Journal of Functional Analysis

But selling rights individually may work less well where fans' support is more tribal as is still mainly the case in European football.

The Economist

No one is going to be chanting about football coming home when, as has been mainly the case in recent years, it's actually lost somewhere on the wrong night bus with an out-of-date Oyster card.

The Guardian - Opinion

We consider mainly the case where the objective of the buffer tank is to dampen ('average out') the fact (i.e. high frequency) disturbances, e.g. in flow and concentration, which cannot be handled by the feedback control system.

Computers & Chemical Engineering

Several regions of this molecule play key roles in oxygen binding; this is mainly the case of residues surrounding the haeme, of contact areas between chains, and of binding sites for regulatory ligands.

EMC - Hématologie

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

Strength of the present study was mainly the case-control design, matched for age and gender.

Disease Markers

Previous studies focused mainly on the case of scheduling single-item requests in single-channel environments.

Information Sciences

This last part will mainly consider the case of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome.

FEBS Letters

Until now, NQR imaging has been considered mainly in the case of Chlorine-35.

Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

In the group of infected animals, expression levels remained significantly higher than in control animals in the most of the wppi studied, mainly in the case of iNOS.

Nature

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "mainly the case" to indicate a trend or pattern rather than an absolute truth. It acknowledges exceptions while highlighting a general observation.

Common error

Avoid using "mainly the case" when describing something that is universally true. Instead, reserve it for situations where exceptions exist to maintain accuracy.

Linguistic Context

"Mainly the case" functions as an adverbial phrase that qualifies a statement. It suggests that something is generally true or applicable, but not in every instance. As indicated by Ludwig, it implies a degree of probability or frequency rather than an absolute certainty.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

62%

News & Media

27%

Formal & Business

11%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "mainly the case" is a versatile phrase used to express that something is generally true, but not universally so. Ludwig AI confirms that this phrase is grammatically correct and commonly used across various contexts, particularly in scientific and news-related domains. When writing, it's important to use this phrase to qualify statements and avoid overgeneralizations, ensuring accuracy and nuance. Alternatives like "mostly true" or "generally speaking" can be considered for stylistic variation, but it's better to maintain the original query phrase to provide specific meaning to the situation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

mostly true

Emphasizes the prevalence of truth rather than the applicability of a situation.

for the most part

Indicates something is true except for occasional exceptions.

more often than not

Expresses that an event happens more frequently than it does not.

generally speaking

Introduces a statement that is true in most circumstances, offering a broader perspective.

in most instances

Focuses on the frequency of occurrence, highlighting that the statement applies in the majority of situations.

typically the scenario

Highlights the standard or usual course of events.

largely the situation

Highlights that the scenario is broadly applicable, although not always.

primarily the situation

Points out the leading characteristic of the situation, though other conditions may exist.

ordinarily the circumstance

Suggests that something happens under normal circumstances, implying potential deviations.

commonly found

Emphasizes the prevalence of a situation or characteristic.

FAQs

How can I use "mainly the case" in a sentence?

You can use "mainly the case" to indicate that something is generally true or applicable, but not universally. For example: "It is "mainly the case" that students study harder before exams".

What phrases are similar to "mainly the case"?

Similar phrases include "mostly true", "generally speaking", or "in most instances", depending on the context.

Is "mainly the case" formal or informal?

"Mainly the case" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. The level of formality depends more on the surrounding language than on the phrase itself.

When should I avoid using "mainly the case"?

Avoid using "mainly the case" when you need to express an absolute truth or a certainty. Instead, use it when you want to acknowledge potential exceptions or variations.