routine plot

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "routine plot" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a storyline or narrative that follows a predictable or standard pattern, often found in genres like romance or mystery. Example: "The movie was entertaining, but it ultimately fell flat due to its routine plot that offered nothing new or exciting."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Ramsay likes to make an audience work — planting clues instead of laying out a routine plot, and turning every spectator into a detective.

The New Yorker

Routine plot elements in his novels might include exploding ostriches, dogs high on LSD, inept spousal murder and all manner of inflatable things.

The New York Times - Books

The movie slips out of your grasp as you're watching it: Burton and his screenwriters never capture the grand sense of myth that made the earlier film exciting, and even routine plot details are impossibly vague.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

You'd expect routine plotting and dialogue in a drama based on, and intended to sell, video games, but you could hope that the fights and gun battles would be inventive.

The New York Times - Arts

In our pop culture, the wife or husband as economic object is now a routine Hollywood plot device.

The New York Times - Magazine

Brock said later that he would meet with officials at the United States Military Academy, as is routine, to plot how the football team would move ahead.

The New York Times - Sports

Other national dramatic forms absorbed the comic routines and plot devices of the commedia.

Encyclopedia Britannica

He led his final concert as the orchestra's music director in 1969 and attended a Jimi Hendrix show the following night, relishing his escape from routine and plotting a compositional second act.

The New Yorker

I introduced routine ORTEP plotting of molecular coordinates to the group's output, but never myself made the jump to rendering wavefunctions until inspired by an article on "orbital photography" in 1984 [16].

Journal of Cheminformatics

The free energies of self-folding were extracted from Mfold output files using a home-written Matlab parsing routine, and plotted as normalized probability histograms with 1 kcal mol−1 binning.

eLife

Two important sub-routines are plotted in their own tableaus: Algorithm 3 calculates particles and sends messages when a source jumps over to another cluster.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When criticizing a story for having a "routine plot", be specific about which elements are predictable or unoriginal. Provide examples to support your claim.

Common error

Avoid simply labeling a plot as "routine" without explaining why. Provide specific examples of the plot elements that are predictable or unoriginal to make your critique more impactful.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "routine plot" functions as a noun phrase that typically acts as a subject complement or object in a sentence. It describes the characteristic of a storyline, often implying a lack of originality. As confirmed by Ludwig, the expression is deemed correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "routine plot" is a noun phrase used to describe a storyline that is predictable and lacks originality. According to Ludwig, the expression is correct and usable in written English, predominantly appearing in News & Media contexts. While grammatically sound, overuse without context can weaken your critique. Alternatives such as "predictable storyline" or "formulaic narrative" can offer more specific nuances. When using "routine plot", remember to provide concrete examples from the story to strengthen your analysis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

predictable storyline

Focuses on the lack of surprises or unexpected events in the narrative.

formulaic narrative

Emphasizes the adherence to a specific formula or template.

conventional plot

Highlights the adherence to established norms and traditions.

clichéd storyline

Stresses the overuse of familiar tropes and elements.

unoriginal narrative

Highlights the lack of fresh ideas or perspectives.

stereotypical plot

Indicates reliance on common stereotypes and stock characters.

standard narrative

Emphasizes the conformity to established standards and practices.

cookie-cutter plot

Highlights the mass-produced and interchangeable nature of the narrative.

well-worn storyline

Emphasizes the frequent use and familiarity of the narrative.

hackneyed plot

Highlights the staleness and lack of impact due to overuse.

FAQs

How can I use "routine plot" in a sentence?

You can use "routine plot" to describe a storyline that is predictable and lacks originality, for example: "The movie was entertaining, but it ultimately fell flat due to its "routine plot" that offered nothing new or exciting."

What are some alternatives to "routine plot"?

Alternatives include "predictable storyline", "formulaic narrative", or "conventional plot", depending on the specific aspect you want to emphasize.

What does it mean to call a plot "routine"?

Calling a plot "routine" implies that it follows a well-established pattern and offers few surprises or unique elements. It suggests a lack of originality in the narrative.

Is it always negative to describe a plot as "routine"?

While often used negatively to criticize a lack of originality, describing a plot as "routine" can also be neutral if the predictability is part of the genre's appeal. However, this is not the general accepted use of the phrase.