might be illustrated

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "might be illustrated" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when suggesting that something could be represented or explained through an illustration or example. Example: "The concept of gravity might be illustrated through the use of diagrams showing falling objects."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

Dylan might be illustrated by "Street Legal," but there's no guarantee of that: he could just as easily be represented by "Planet Waves" or "Blonde On Blonde".

The New Yorker

Somewhere along the line, someone came up with a pithy, witty test for feminism that might be illustrated as follows: And it's clever, right?

The Guardian - Opinion

The other kind of Sign, that which bears to the proposition it supports the relation of universal to particular, might be illustrated by saying, 'The fact that he breathes fast is a sign that he has a fever'.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

You need to believe some other important things in order to be a feminist, things that might be illustrated as follows: Have you surprised yourself by getting a "not a feminist" result when you've been proudly calling yourself a feminist for years?

The Guardian - Opinion

This discrepancy might be illustrated by the NRG1 action on dopaminergic neurons [46].

Plosone

In this context, the discordant behavioral trait (social aggression) between the two Tg lines might be illustrated by the distinct genomic disturbance of the transgene integration or different background impurities of the original DBA mouse genome.

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

Here, too, there is probably a religious angle, which might best be illustrated by one of the most ancient Japanese myths.

The Guardian - Arts

Therefore, a trade-off between these two objectives might exist and it should be illustrated with a Pareto frontier of points representing different energy consumption and amount of data to be migrated.

EURASIP Journal on Embedded Systems

There is an inspired three-page threnody that begins, "It was snowing and it was snowing and it was going to snow some more," and contains a concatenation of weather-related mishaps that might have been illustrated by Edward Gorey.

The New Yorker

How the neuron receiving this amount of synaptic inputs might look is illustrated in Figure 1.

BioMed Research International

The difficulty in allowing a defendant's rights to turn on what the Government might have done is illustrated by considering that, had the Government alleged each "theory of liability" in a separate count, the indictment would have been subject to objection on grounds of multiplicity, the charging of a single offense in separate counts.

Cornell University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "might be illustrated", ensure the illustration or example you provide is clear and directly relevant to the concept you are explaining. A weak or ambiguous illustration can confuse the reader.

Common error

Avoid overuse of passive constructions like "might be illustrated" as it can make your writing sound indirect and less engaging. Consider active alternatives when appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "might be illustrated" functions as a modal verb phrase indicating a possibility or potential for something to be shown or exemplified. It suggests that an idea or concept can be clarified or represented through an illustration. According to Ludwig, it is correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

30%

News & Media

30%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "might be illustrated" is a grammatically sound phrase used to suggest that a concept could be clarified or represented through an example or visual aid. While Ludwig confirms its correct usage, consider using active voice constructions for a more direct tone. The phrase is versatile across diverse contexts like Science, News & Media and Academia. Given its relative infrequency, explore alternative phrasing like "could be exemplified" or "can be demonstrated" to add variety to your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

could be exemplified

Replaces "might" with "could" and "illustrated" with "exemplified", suggesting a potential example.

can be demonstrated

Shifts from potential illustration to possible demonstration.

may be exemplified

Uses "may" instead of "might" indicating possibility, and "exemplified" in place of "illustrated".

can be portrayed

Replaces "illustrated" with "portrayed" to suggest a visual representation.

could be represented

Emphasizes the aspect of representation rather than illustration.

may be shown

Simplifies the phrase to a more direct indication of possibility and visual display.

might be evidenced

Focuses on providing evidence rather than a direct illustration.

can be clarified by

Suggests that something can be made clearer by means of an example.

may be clarified through

Indicates that clarification is possible using a method or example.

could be highlighted

Changes the focus to emphasizing or drawing attention to something.

FAQs

How can I use "might be illustrated" in a sentence?

The phrase "might be illustrated" is used to suggest that a concept or idea could be represented or clarified through an example or illustration. For instance, "The benefits of exercise "might be illustrated" by comparing the health outcomes of active and sedentary individuals."

What phrases are similar to "might be illustrated"?

Similar phrases include "could be exemplified", "can be demonstrated", or "may be exemplified". The best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to use active or passive voice with "might be illustrated"?

While "might be illustrated" is grammatically correct, using the active voice can sometimes create a stronger and more direct sentence. For example, instead of "The concept "might be illustrated" by this example", you could say "This example "clarifies" the concept".

What's the difference between "might be illustrated" and "is illustrated"?

"Might be illustrated" suggests a possibility or hypothetical scenario, whereas "is illustrated" indicates that something is, in fact, being shown or exemplified at that moment.