to get a general overview

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "to get a general overview" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to express the idea of obtaining a broad understanding or summary of a topic or situation. Example: "Before diving into the details, it's helpful to get a general overview of the project's objectives."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

With that data on hand, the first thing was to get a general overview.

The Guardian

This helped to get a general overview and to see a glimpse of how the data looks like.

International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility

This paper reports a systematic mapping study conducted to get a general overview of how text semantics is being treated in text mining studies.

Journal of the Brazilian Computer Society

The POCUS of the abdomen to detect the features of small and large bowel pathologies must be done with the low-frequency transducer (5 2 MHz) to begin with to get a general overview of the abdomen.

Critical Ultrasound Journal

The first exploration level of SubVIS enables the user to get a general overview of all detected subspace clusters and their properties such as the cluster and subspace size, the distribution of dimensions within the different subspace clusters as well as the similarity between them.

Brain Informatics

First, the transcripts were read, to get a general overview of the topics commented upon.

BMC Medical Education

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

From the data gleaned through her mystery shopping, she is able to draw conclusions on such items as subscriber growth and churn and get a general overview of the marketplace.

Forbes

"If you're someone who doesn't know about a topic, now you can get a general overview of what the topic is about on a Topic Page," D'Angelo tells me, saying that the Topic Groups will be the space for people who want to delve deeper.

TechCrunch

Write out a paragraph length summary of the day, highlighting all the most exciting and meaningful elements so that anyone can get a general overview of the scope and schedule of the day.

WikiHow

However, to get a more general overview, we give in Table S6 also an estimate on the occurrence of key TCS domains versus the number of annotated and known TCS in several bacterial genomes plus the recent data on maize as well as Arabidopsis plant genomes.

Bioinformatics and Biology Insights

In order to get a good overview of different types of hospitals, a university hospital, teaching and general hospitals will be included.

BMC Palliative Care

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "to get a general overview" when you are explaining your objectives to someone.

Common error

Avoid using "to get a general overview" when the context requires a detailed and thorough investigation. This phrase implies a superficial understanding, not an exhaustive one.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "to get a general overview" functions as an infinitive phrase, often used as an adverbial phrase to express the purpose of an action. It explains why someone is doing something, as illustrated by Ludwig examples where it sets the stage for understanding data or analyzing transcripts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

35%

Wiki

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "to get a general overview" is a grammatically correct and usable expression to describe the act of obtaining a basic understanding of a topic. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's suitable for various contexts, from scientific research to general news, although its frequency is uncommon. When using this phrase, ensure it aligns with the context, indicating a need for a broad understanding rather than a detailed analysis. Consider related phrases like "to acquire a comprehensive understanding" or "to grasp the gist" to fine-tune the meaning, as well. The phrase is most common in scientific and news-related contexts, and it's recommended to use it when introducing an exploratory phase of understanding.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

to get the gist

Indicates understanding the main point without details.

to obtain a broad perspective

Focuses on gaining a wide-ranging viewpoint.

to acquire a comprehensive understanding

Emphasizes the acquisition of a thorough knowledge.

to understand the essentials

Highlights understanding the core or necessary elements.

to gain a holistic view

Highlights seeing something as a whole, interconnected system.

to grasp the fundamentals

Emphasizes learning the basic rules or principles.

to develop a basic familiarity

Suggests a more initial and less in-depth understanding.

to familiarize oneself

Focuses on the process of becoming acquainted with something.

to form an initial impression

Focuses on the very first, often superficial, understanding.

to survey the landscape

Implies a broad, less detailed examination of a situation.

FAQs

How can I use "to get a general overview" in a sentence?

You can use "to get a general overview" when you need to understand the main points of a subject without going into too much detail. For example: "I read the report to get a general overview of the company's financial status."

What's a good alternative to "to get a general overview"?

Alternatives include "to gain a basic understanding", "to obtain a broad perspective", or "to grasp the gist", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it appropriate to use "to get a general overview" in formal writing?

Yes, "to get a general overview" is appropriate for formal writing. It's a clear and concise way to express the need for a broad understanding of a topic. However, consider alternatives like "to acquire a comprehensive understanding" if a more sophisticated tone is desired.

What's the difference between "to get a general overview" and "to conduct a thorough analysis"?

"To get a general overview" implies a quick and less detailed examination, while "to conduct a thorough analysis" suggests a deep and comprehensive investigation. Use "to get a general overview" when you need a summary, and "to conduct a thorough analysis" when you need an in-depth understanding.