On balance, the overall picture seems to be that the political climate influences corporate strategy, [after thinking about the different facts or opinions; general rather than in particular]
In the final/last analysis, the only safe prediction is that the future is likely to be very different from the present, [said when talking about what is most important or true in a situation]
Error Warning!
Don't confuse lastly and at last. Lastly refers to the final point or item in a list or a series of points being discussed, and is similar to finally. At last refers to something which happens after people have been waiting for it for a long time.
Remember, eventually does NOT mean 'perhaps'. It means 'in the end, especially after a long time or a lot of effort, problems, etc'
Exercises
1 Look at A. Rewrite each sentence, using the word in brackets. To conclude, the tests suggest the drug has no dangerous side effects. (conclusion)
In short, losing the war was a humiliating defeat for the country on a number of different levels, (summarise)
To sum up, it is impossible to blame the disaster on one person alone, (summary)
From the survey we can conclude that advertising has a stronger effect on teenage girls than on other groups of the population. (draw / come give two answers)
To recap, there were a number of different reasons why the experiment was less successful than had been hoped. (recapitulate)
2 Choose a word from the box to complete each sentence.
abstract analysis balance close eventually points provide put words
On_________________it would seem that more people are against the proposed law than for it.
Authors submitting an article for the journal are requested to provide a brief ___________________ outlining the contents of their article.
To ______________________ it briefly, General Pachai's attempts to manipulate the situation to his own advantage __________________ led to his own downfall.
Most theses__________________a summary of the literature in the field in their opening chapter.
In the final__________________no one can be completely certain as to what caused the crash.
To summarise the problem in a few_____________________: manufacturing in the country has declined drastically in the last ten years.
Let us now recap the main_______________________ in the argument.
Before bringing this paper to a____________________, I should like to suggest some areas requiring further research.
