virtually all students

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "virtually all students" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that almost every student is included, with a small allowance for exceptions. Example: "Virtually all students passed the exam, demonstrating their understanding of the material."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

18 human-written examples

Virtually all students said they take the standardized tests seriously; 56percentt said "very seriously".

The New York Times

Sadly, bullying -- whether social, emotional or physical -- is part of virtually all students' educational experience.

The New York Times

Virtually all students who scored in Level 1, the lowest of four categories, on the citywide reading test given last April are being required to attend summer school, an analysis of the statistics shows.

The New York Times

The labor gap that exists in many trade industries belies the trend in American high schools over the last several generations to push virtually all students toward continuing education in a four year college degree program.

Stanford University

However, Philosophy for Children programs have shown themselves to be remarkably successful in drawing virtually all students in the classroom together in inquiry.

SEP

"The core idea (of mastery learning) is that virtually all students can achieve expertise in a domain if two conditions are met: (1) the domain knowledge is appropriately analyzed into a hierarchy of component skills and (2) learning experiences are structured to ensure that students master prerequisite skills before tackling higher level skills in the hierarchy" (Corbett and Anderson 1995, p.253).

Smart Learning Environments

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

Our LL.M.s can enroll in courses with J.D. students and participate in virtually all student organizations.

Cornell University

Although the student body at one time was virtually all black, students of other races began attending after World War II, especially in the graduate schools.

Encyclopedia Britannica

In addition, Duke provides funding to virtually all doctoral students and offers significant support to master's and professional degree students.

Duke University

As a result, it is not at all clear whether a change of policy would have any impact on the current practice of having our students travel to one of the other campus ROTC sites, as do virtually all other students at New York area colleges and many others across the nation.

Columbia University

Several hundred handicapped students are educated by the village's own public school district, which, because virtually all the students are poor and disabled, is eligible for sizable state and federal government grants.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "virtually all students", consider whether "almost all students" might be clearer and more direct, especially in less formal writing. While "virtually" adds a nuance, it can sometimes sound unnecessarily complex.

Common error

Avoid using "virtually all students" when the actual proportion is significantly less than 90%. If you are referring to a smaller group, use phrases like "most students" or "a majority of students" to maintain accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "virtually all students" functions as a determiner phrase modifying the noun "students". It specifies the quantity of students being referred to, indicating a near-complete set. Ludwig AI confirms this usage is standard and correct.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

32%

Science

31%

Academia

27%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Encyclopedias

4%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "virtually all students" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression to denote that nearly every student within a given context is being referred to. Ludwig AI validates its correctness. It's suitable for various contexts ranging from academic and scientific writing to news media, maintaining a generally neutral register. While alternatives like "almost all students" or "nearly all students" may offer improved clarity in certain scenarios, ensure that the phrase accurately represents the proportion of students you are describing to prevent overstatement.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

almost all students

Replaces "virtually" with "almost", a direct synonym indicating near-complete inclusion.

nearly all students

Uses "nearly" instead of "virtually", conveying a very similar meaning of close to all.

close to all students

Indicates that the number of students is approaching the total count.

practically all students

Substitutes "virtually" with "practically", suggesting that for all practical purposes, all students are included.

essentially all students

Emphasizes that in essence, all students are part of the group, with minimal exceptions.

the overwhelming majority of students

Highlights that the majority is so large it's almost impossible to ignore.

the majority of students

Shifts the focus to the majority, implying a large but not necessarily near-complete group.

most students

Simplifies the phrase to indicate that the greater part of the student population is being referenced.

a large number of students

Focuses on the quantity of students, highlighting that many students are included.

a significant portion of students

Indicates that a notable part of the students is being referred to, without specifying a precise number.

FAQs

What does "virtually all students" mean?

The phrase "virtually all students" means nearly all students, implying that only a very small number might be exceptions. It suggests a proportion very close to 100%.

What can I say instead of "virtually all students"?

You can use alternatives like "almost all students", "nearly all students", or "most students" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "virtually all students"?

Yes, "virtually all students" is a correct and usable phrase in English. It's used to indicate that almost every student is included, with a small allowance for exceptions. For example, "Virtually all students passed the exam".

How does "virtually all students" differ from "all students"?

"Virtually all students" implies that there might be a few exceptions, while "all students" suggests that every single student is included without exception. The former allows for a small margin of error or unforeseen circumstances.