Task 1 圖表描述、Task 2 主題句裡，mostly / mainly 出現的頻率高得不得了——但兩個都偏口語。學術升級：predominantly。
字義
- Predominant (adj.) — present as the strongest or main element; having greater influence than others.
- Predominantly (adv.) — for the most part; mainly.
語意上跟 mostly 接近——差別在 register（語域）：predominantly 在書面與學術場合更自然。
5 個 Band 7+ 例句
- The audience was predominantly young, with most attendees under 25.
- Manufacturing remained the predominant sector well into the 1980s.
- Rural areas in the region are predominantly agricultural.
- The novel deals with predominantly working-class characters and concerns.
- Energy consumption is still predominantly fossil-based, though that is changing.
常見錯誤
搭配靈活：predominantly + 形容詞 / 名詞都可（predominantly young, predominantly agricultural, predominantly women）——比 mostly 還多用法。
Register 注意：別在 Speaking Part 1 講食物、家人時用——I predominantly eat rice 聽起來像研究報告。Part 1 用 mostly；Task 1 圖表、Task 2 議題、Part 3 思辨——predominantly 上場。
意義偏移：別把 predominant 當 dominant——dominant 強調「支配」（霸氣），predominant 強調「佔多數」（中性）。
同等級替換（Band 7+）
- Largely — The decision was largely driven by financial pressure.
- Primarily — The fund is primarily aimed at first-time buyers.
試試看
下次 Task 1 寫主體段，別寫 Most people use buses——寫 Buses are predominantly used by commuters under 30。一句話 Band 7+。
延伸閱讀：