Mainly meaning in English
Learn how to use Mainly correctly with Gymglish.
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Definition
mainly: principally, mostly, especially, in particular
I watch foreign films mainly. I really like them and I watch them more than any other kind of film.
Examples
- "Penelope : ...but mainly about books."
- "It's a fine city to do business in, and besides, I was told that Melbourne was mainly a cultural center."
- "The slower growth this quarter is mainly due to new hirings."
- "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain"
- "Day 13 : Horatio has constructed a small tent near the ovens, comprised mainly of asparagus and T-Bone steaks."
- "Mick : There are a few, but it's mainly sharks out there, mate."
- "The record turnover is mainly due to an aggressive discount policy implemented by Delavigne's Head of Sales, Philip Cheeter."
- "We are hoping this initiative will save time and avoid hurt feelings (mainly my own)."
- "Wang Industries is the Shanghai-based parent company for a number of successful Chinese operations, mainly industrial companies, though Wang is diversifying his holdings rapidly."
- "My responsibilities included mainly administrative tasks such as creating monthly, quarterly and annual personnel reports."
Exercise 1
Mick tells Philip that at Mavericks there are "mainly sharks".
In this context, "mainly" shares a similar meaning with
In this context, "mainly" shares a similar meaning with
Mick tells Philip that at Mavericks there are "mainly sharks".
In this context, "mainly" shares a similar meaning with primarily
In this context, "mainly" shares a similar meaning with primarily
primarily: "Mainly" and "primarily" share a very similar meaning. "Mainly" also shares a similar meaning with the idioms "for the most part" and "above all". Mick is saying that at Mavericks, there are "mostly" sharks in the water, and not women surfers.
unfortunately: "Mainly" does not share a similar meaning with "unfortunately".
only: "Mainly" does not express the same sense of exclusivity as "only". "Mainly" is not an absolute term. In this dialogue, "mainly" indicates that there are "mostly" sharks in the waters, but not exclusively sharks.
surprisingly: "Mainly" does not share a similar meaning with "surprisingly".
Exercise 2
Find the best synonyms of the terms in bold.
The record turnover is mainly due to an aggressive discount policy implemented by Delavigne's Head of Sales, Philip Cheeter.
--> The turnover is due to an aggressive discount policy by Delavigne's Head of Sales, Philip Cheeter.
The record turnover is mainly due to an aggressive discount policy implemented by Delavigne's Head of Sales, Philip Cheeter.
--> The turnover is due to an aggressive discount policy by Delavigne's Head of Sales, Philip Cheeter.
Find the best synonyms of the terms in bold.
The record turnover is mainly due to an aggressive discount policy implemented by Delavigne's Head of Sales, Philip Cheeter.
--> The best ever 1 turnover is primarily 2 due to an aggressive discount policy put into place 3 by Delavigne's Head of Sales, Philip Cheeter.
The record turnover is mainly due to an aggressive discount policy implemented by Delavigne's Head of Sales, Philip Cheeter.
--> The best ever 1 turnover is primarily 2 due to an aggressive discount policy put into place 3 by Delavigne's Head of Sales, Philip Cheeter.
1 best ever: This is correct. A "record" is the best result or the highest or lowest level that has ever been reached. It is often used to describe unsurpassed measurements in sports. Examples: I currently hold the world RECORD for running 100m OR Last August was the hottest month on RECORD. Therefore, a "record turnover" is the highest turnover ever recorded. The "turnover" is the total amount of goods or services sold by a company during a particular period of time.
1 controversial : This is incorrect. If something is "controversial", it causes disagreement and public debate. Example: The government has taken the CONTROVERSIAL decision to stop taxing English Teachers. The term "controversial" is not a synonym of "record".
1 unexpected: This is incorrect. If something is "unexpected", it is not expected - it is a surprise because you didn't think it would happen. Example: We received an UNEXPECTED visit from the Queen. The term "unexpected" is not a synonym of "record".
2 primarily: This is correct. If you "mainly" (eat fish and vegetables), then you (eat fish and vegetables) more than any other (food). The term "mainly" is a close synonym of "primarily" and "principally". If high retail sales are "mainly" due to discounts, it means that price reductions had the biggest influence on the amount of products sold.
2 possibly: This is incorrect. If something is "possibly" (true), it may be (true), but you are not certain. The term "possibly" is a synonym or "perhaps", it is not a synonym of "mainly".
2 completely: This is incorrect. If something is "completely" (true), it is "totally" or 100% (true). Example: My telephone is COMPLETELY broken - it doesn't work at all. The term "completely" is not a synonym of "mainly".
3 put into place: This is correct. "To implement" is "to put into place or effect" or "to carry out" or "to make happen". Example: The changes in the law will be IMPLEMENTED next year. In the article, Philip is said to have implemented the discount policy, which means that he made the discounts happen, or put the discounts into place.
3 conceived: This is incorrect. "To conceive" is "to create an idea" or "imagine something". Example: I CONCEIVED the idea of turning the bedroom into a study. As we heard in the previous audio, Philip did not "conceive" the idea of discounts - Hannah did. Philip simply put the discounts into effect. Remember: "conceive" = "create"; "implement" = "put into effect"!
3 inspired: This is incorrect. "To inspire" is to give somebody the idea or motivation to do something. Example: Many people were INSPIRED by The Velvet Underground and decided to start their own bands. The article is not saying that Philip Cheeter was the source of the "discount" idea, but that he put the discounts into effect. The term "inspired" is not a synonym of "implemented".
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