Meaning
Considering everything; generally
Primary Function
Fixed adverbial phrase for summing up
Communicative Purpose
To provide a general assessment or overall impression
Pattern
on the whole
Core Structure
on the whole
Função primária
Fixed adverbial phrase for summing up
Propósito comunicativo
To provide a general assessment or overall impression
Situações de gatilho
When summarizing conclusions, evaluations, overviews, or when giving an overall judgment after considering multiple factors
Contextos
Academic writing, professional reports, everyday conversation (informal but widely understood)
Padrão
on the whole
Estrutura central
on the whole
Slots de substituição
by and large; overall; generally speaking
Colocados típicos
- I think
- seems
- agree
- satisfactory
- positive
Substituições comuns
- all in all
- in general
Erros comuns
on whole (missing article)
Similar / contraste
by and large, all things considered
Interferências
Do not confuse with 'in the whole' or 'as a whole', which have different meanings.
Família do chunk
- all in all
- broadly speaking
- by and large
Nuance
Conveys a balanced, moderate overall impression rather than an absolute endorsement.
Efeito pragmático
Adds moderation to statements, indicating that while some aspects may be negative, the majority view is positive.
Dica de memória
Overall view
Nota
The expression is fixed and should not be modified. It is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts to provide a balanced assessment.
Upgrade path
generally → overall → on the whole
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