By and large, the policy has been successful.

Notice

  • By and large, the policy has been successful.
  • All things considered, the risks outweigh the benefits.
  • When it comes down to it, cost is the deciding factor.
  • At the end of the day, the results speak for themselves.

Rule

Fixed expressions (by and large, all things considered, when it comes down to it, at the end of the day) let you summarise, generalise, or conclude an argument naturally — far more fluent than always using ‘in conclusion’ or ‘in general’. These are common across spoken and written C1 English, especially in discussion and argumentation.

Practice

  1. Use ‘by and large’ to generalise: ‘The plan worked, with a few exceptions.’
    Answer: By and large, the plan worked.
  2. Use ‘all things considered’ to conclude fairly: after listing pros and cons of a decision.
    Answer: All things considered, it was the right decision.
  3. Use ‘at the end of the day’ to state the bottom line.
    Answer: At the end of the day, what matters most is the outcome.
  4. What does ‘when it comes down to it’ signal?
    Answer: Getting to the core or most essential point of an issue.

Connect

Practise structuring arguments with fixed expressions.

Try Sentence Builder →

CEFR: Spoken Production — present clear descriptions integrating sub-themes and rounding off with a conclusion.

Azizul Hakim
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