a separate files

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a separate files" is not correct in written English.
It should be "separate files" or "a separate file" depending on the context. Example: "Please save the documents as separate files to keep them organized."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

TechCrunch

The New York Times

Encyclopedia Britannica

The Guardian - Tech

Independent

Vice

Huffington Post

Los Angeles Times

Forbes

Plosone

Bioinformatics

BMC Medical Genomics

Unicef

BMC Family Practice

BMC Psychiatry

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

3D Printing in Medicine

Computational Astrophysics and Cosmology

Journal of Cheminformatics

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

Journal of Big Data

Critical Ultrasound Journal

Open Geospatial Data, Software and Standards

Earth, Planets and Space

Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications

EJNMMI Physics

EURASIP Journal on Information Security

Smart Learning Environments

Journal of Big Data

Journal of Cheminformatics

Bioinformatics

BMC Evolutionary Biology

BMC Medical Genomics

BMC Family Practice

BMC Psychiatry

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Other features, for what is purposely a very streamlined app, include a way to bookmark (or 'pin') a message in the form of an editable note, making for a very lightweight way of extracting important or actionable information, and the ability to browse images or other attachments via a separate files tab so that it's quick to retrieve an important asset.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

A fifth person pleaded guilty in a separate filing connected to the case.

The New York Times

The second is the divided catalog, still in alphabetical sequence but with subject entries in a separate file.

Encyclopedia Britannica

A separate filing by a foreign company can take up to 60 days -- long enough to ruin a deal in a volatile market.

The New York Times

In a separate filing on Wednesday, AIG SunAmerica said that it was "terminating" Van Wagoner's role as a subadviser for the SunAmerica Focused Technology Portfolio.

The New York Times

The latest onslaught of documents was particularly unwieldy — each computerized page was a separate file, making it cumbersome to search or read.

The New York Times

For best results, right-click and save the images to a separate file, so they can be printed without the written material on these Web pages.

The New York Times

If you save each song as a separate file on your hard drive, you'll be all set to turn them into traditional tracks on the finished CD.

The New York Times - Tech

These suspects were not included in the indictment on Monday, but will be added in a separate filing, Mr. Engin said.

The New York Times

In 1996, Mr. Francis created a separate file in his computer to keep track of the cranks and their Web sites.

The New York Times - Tech

In a separate filing by cryptography experts and practitioners, including former NSA employee Charlie Miller, the authors acknowledge the FBI's "legitimate interest" in unlocking the iPhone Farook used.

The Guardian - Tech

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to multiple files, use the plural form "separate files" without the article "a". If referring to a single file, use "a separate file".

Common error

Avoid using the article "a" before a plural noun like "files". The correct phrasing is either "separate files" (plural) or "a separate file" (singular).

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a separate files" attempts to function as an adjective phrase modifying a noun. However, the incorrect use of the singular article "a" with the plural noun "files" creates a grammatical error. Ludwig AI indicates the phrase is not correct.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

23%

News & Media

39%

Formal & Business

4%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Social Media

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a separate files" is grammatically incorrect due to the mismatch between the singular article "a" and the plural noun "files". Ludwig AI confirms this grammatical issue. To correct this, use "separate files" (plural) or "a separate file" (singular), depending on the context. While the intended meaning is often clear from the context, using correct grammar enhances clarity and professionalism. Common contexts include news, science and business, but the phrase is rare. Always double-check article-noun agreement to avoid this common error.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

separate files

Removes the article "a" to correct the grammatical error, creating a plural noun phrase.

a separate file

Changes "files" to the singular "file" to agree with the singular article "a".

individual files

Replaces "separate" with "individual" while maintaining the plural form.

distinct files

Uses "distinct" instead of "separate" to describe the files.

discrete files

Employs "discrete" as a synonym for "separate", implying clear boundaries.

stand-alone files

Replaces "separate" with "stand-alone" to emphasize independence.

independent files

Similar to 'stand-alone', but with a stronger emphasis on functional autonomy.

dedicated files

Suggests that each file is reserved for a specific purpose or use.

exclusive files

Implies that each file contains unique or restricted content.

additional files

Focuses on the idea that the files are supplements or extras to the primary content.

FAQs

How do I correctly use "separate files" in a sentence?

Use "separate files" when referring to multiple, distinct files. For example: "Please save the documents as separate files to keep them organized." You can also use alternatives like "individual files" or "distinct files".

What's the difference between "a separate file" and "separate files"?

"A separate file" refers to one single file, while "separate files" refers to multiple files. For example: "I saved each chapter as "a separate file"." versus "The software creates "separate files" for each user profile".

Is it grammatically correct to say "a separate files"?

No, "a separate files" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrasing is either "a separate file" (singular) or "separate files" (plural). The article "a" is used before singular countable nouns.

What can I say instead of "a separate file"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "an individual file", "a distinct file", or "a stand-alone file".