ENGLISH
REFERENCE

in general

prep. phr..
B1 Intermediate Oxford

prep. phr.. usually or in most cases, rather than focusing on specific details.

prep. phr.. used to indicate that a statement is true in most instances or as a broad rule, without accounting for specific exceptions.


SIMPLE

In general, the weather here is quite mild.

CONTEXTUAL

In general, people prefer to work from home if they have the option.

COMPLEX

While there are several notable exceptions to the rule, the theory holds true in general across most biological systems.

Usage

often used at the beginning of a sentence to set the context for a broad statement.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'specifically' or 'in particular'; it functions as a sentence adverbial to manage the scope of a claim.

Pitfall

In the general, I like coffee.In general, I like coffee.the phrase is a fixed prepositional idiom and does not take a definite article.

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