general idea — overall understanding
collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
A basic or broad understanding of something, without knowing all the details.
Say it like a native
Textbook I have apprehended the broad conceptual outline.
Native I get the general idea.
'Apprehended the broad conceptual outline' is absurd; 'get the general idea' is natural.
Pattern: have/get/give a general idea (of/about something)
In use
- I have a general idea of how the new software works, but I still need some training.communication
- Even if you don't know all the facts, having a general idea about the topic can help you answer the question more confidently.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I got the general idea about the plot.
✓ I got the general idea of the plot.
'General idea OF' — not 'about'.
Common collocations
general idea— the, a, get the, rough
Don't confuse it
Different from 'detailed knowledge', which means knowing everything about a topic.